


The Best Days Are All Ahead

by snowprincess



Series: Azure Skies [1]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Bickering, Case Fic, Family Secrets, First Kiss, First Time, Kidnapping, Light Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Protective Steve, Realization, Revelations, drugged danny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2018-05-13 06:12:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5697985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowprincess/pseuds/snowprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Danny's first meeting is in a dream, but can they make it work in the real world?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is in an AU where both Steve and Chin are in the Navy and Danny and Rachel are best friends.

“Jesus, I hate formal events.” Steve was shifting his weight from foot to foot, unable to stay still as he looked around him at the other guests. He was tucked away near a marble pillar, sipping his drink, wishing he could blend into the woodwork.

“I actually don’t mind them all that much. You make a little small talk and then you move on, work your way around the room, you know.” Chin gave his friend a sidelong look, grinning at his discomfort.

Steve returned the look with an eyeroll. “Yeah well, Chin, if this evening doesn’t pick up soon, I’m leaving - free booze or not. We came here for a reason and the night has turned up nothing so far.”

 

On the other side of the ballroom a man walked in with his best friend. He was feeling out of place as well, but decided that he would do his best to enjoy the night ahead. 

“Will you stop fiddling with your tie, Daniel. I fixed it once already and look at what you just did to it. Come here. Let me sort that.”

His friend Rachel had walked out in front of him and set about straightening the bow tie that was now sitting at an odd slant.

“I could’ve done it myself. I’m not incompetent and I’ve worn ties before.” Despite his mildly annoyed demeanor, Danny stood still and allowed his friend to fuss over the small item of clothing.

“That may be the case, but I’ve learned that if left to your own devices the tie would no doubt round off its night in your pocket.” She patted the tie and smiled as she slid her arm through his. “That’s much better. You look a little tired Danny. Everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m good, just not been sleeping much.”

“Nightmares? Your particular job doesn’t help either.”

Danny didn’t answer, but the fact that he wasn’t making eye contact told Rachel that her friend was downplaying the situation.

 

“You’ll talk to me when you’re ready, right?” She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

He couldn’t help but smile at her sweetness and found himself nodding and meaning it.

“Okay, let’s enjoy ourselves, huh? Look at all this. Free food, the alcohol’s flowing and all the beautiful folks in Jersey seem to be here.” 

Danny wasn’t merely being sociable. The gala coincided with where his investigation into Wo Fat’s activities was leading him. When he learned that he was going to be at the ball, he called on Rachel to get him an invitation. Since his investigation had stalled, he thought seeing the man in this type of setting and having the opportunity to find any of his associates might be the shot in the arm this case needed.

It was then that he saw him, not Wo Fat, but a tall, good looking man in formal naval dress.

“Shit! It’s him! What the fuck? How’s that even possible?! Fuck, this means he’s real!” Danny stopped in his tracks.

“Danny, what’s going on? Who are you talking to? And what are you on about?” Rachel looked confused, but also had that look that said she doubted his sanity.

 

On the other side of the room, Steve had noticed a short blond man walking in with a pretty brunette on his arm. They looked married as he noticed the familiar way in which she fixed his tie. He smiled at the irony that the woman was his type and that he had to work.

The next moment, Steve froze. The blond’s face was now in full view. Next to him Chin sounded concerned.

“Brah, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” The other man was trying to see what he was staring at.

“That woman, you know her?”

“Not her - him.” 

Steve turned toward his friend, suspicion and confusion written all over his features. He peeled himself away from the wall and rushed across the room towards where Danny stood. 

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

“Rachel, I have to go. This evening's taken a weird turn. I can’t actually be here. I’m really sorry.” Danny was turning to leave when he noticed Steve striding towards him.

“Fuck, he saw me and he’s coming over. Okay, now I’m definitely leaving!” Danny turned and slammed straight into another military type as he tried to hurry away.

“Sir, I can’t allow you to leave just yet. The Commander would like to speak with you.” The man was perfectly polite, but he was in Danny’s way and he couldn’t seem to get around him.

“Thanks, but no thanks, okay? I have somewhere to be. Gotta go.”

Though Danny was fast, the delay was just the amount of time Steve needed to reach him. He was highly agitated and couldn't understand why he was being harrassed.

“I want to talk to you.” The voice came from directly behind him. 

Danny cringed inwardly. Facing someone that he thought was just part of a dream was not how he thought he’d spend his evening. He visited these dreams more often than he felt comfortable with. His dreams had become particularly sexual, not that he had a problem with that. It was the fact that he was now confronted by someone that had made him feel things intensely. He felt exposed and nowhere near ready to delve into what his dreams signified. 

Steve noticed that the man didn’t turn. He looked as if he were hesitant. Placing a hand lightly on his shoulder, Steve gently turned him.

Facing each other, Steve was positive that the other man’s look of discomfort mirrored his own. It occurred to him that he could be mistaken and that if so, he was making a complete fool of himself. 

“You know me?”

The other man slowly shook his head. Turning bright red, he looked as though he wanted to run away and hide. Steve felt relief wash over him. This man’s reaction told him that he might be onto something.

“I think you do. I’ve seen you before. Come with me. I want to talk to you where it’s quieter. Maybe we can clear this up?” 

Danny had only been half listening to this tall man. He was scanning the large room for a quick escape. Looking down, he noticed the man now had a firm hold on his wrist and was pulling him along. Digging his heels in, he marveled at Rachel’s ferociousness as she came at the Commander.

“What do you think you’re doing? Get your hands off him! I’m calling security. Danny, don’t go with him!”

People were beginning to stare as Rachel put up a disapproving finger and rushed off towards the exit.

Danny was unexpectedly propelled forward by a young officer as he was led off by the wrist. Shortly afterward he found himself in a study, the noise from the party hushed as the door closed behind him.

“Have a seat.” Steve’s tone was mild as he stepped over to the window and stood staring out. When Danny had resigned himself to the fact that the man was not going to say anything, the SEAL turned around and floored him with a single line.

“Who are you and why am I having dirty dreams about you?”

 

That was definitely not what the smaller man was expecting. His look of surprise and embarrassment prompted Steve to change his approach. He scrutinized the blond who shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. 

An unofficial investigation brought him here. It looked as though his evening was not going to yield any results, until this tiny blond showed up and turned his whole world upside down. He wasn’t sure what he would do if the man told him nothing. He didn’t think that he could let this go – let him go. He decided to prod and see what turned up.

“Okay, assuming that you really don’t know what I’m talking about, let me fill you in. Oh, and feel free to stop me when you remember something.”

Steve regarded the other man, head to one side, frowning. 

“This… Oh I don’t really know what to call it. Well, they’re dreams, really. They started a few months ago. I paid no attention. I think at first I just didn’t remember them, but they became more frequent. They were, you know - sex dreams.”

A small smile played on Steve’s lips at Danny’s embarrassment. He looked everywhere but at the man in front of him.

“I see you’re starting to catch on. Remember anything yet?”

Finally Danny spoke. “I don’t really know what you want from me. Why are you keeping me here. This isn’t exactly legal. I’m a cop. I’m aware of my rights and you can’t detain me without good reason.”

“I’m not keeping you here. Your lady friend went off and we’re waiting for her to get back. So, in the meantime we talk. No? Okay, I’ll continue then. I thought I was dreaming about a woman, but as the dreams continued, they became more detailed and I remembered more. In the last one I was fucking someone. A guy. It was definitely you. I’m not gay, but as far as dreams go? It was fun. I enjoyed it. Right now the guy I had sex with in my dream is sitting across from me. He’s real and I don’t know what to think. That’s disturbing. Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what to say to you.”

“That might be the case. No doubt, this is really mortifying for both of us, but all the same, you recognized me when you saw me! You ran!”

Steve had come forward, leaning over, his face close to Danny’s. Right at that moment Chin walked in unannounced. “We have to move out, Sir. We have orders. Our person of interest i a no show.” He looked down at Danny who was trying to get up.

“No you don’t. You stay.” Steve placed a hand on Danny’s shoulder and pushed down - hard.

“I’m not your dog.” Danny’s indignant look made both Steve and Chin smile.

“I’d address you by your name, but you’ve so far avoided telling me.” Steve was now squatting down next to Danny’s chair. 

“Sir, we have to go. If this isn’t important, let it go. Leave the civilian for another day.”

Steve didn’t say a word, but instead adopted a mulish expression.

“Commander?”

“He has important information and I am not leaving the issue unresolved.” Steve was determined to get to the bottom of what has become a mystery.

“...but…”

“No. He’s coming with us.”

“No he is not!” Rachel had managed to track Danny down, but was alone.

“Chin, get her out of here. I think you need to leave. I’m taking him, and don’t worry, I won’t hurt him. Once he tells me what he knows, we'll return him to you, unharmed.”

“Rachel, it’s okay. I don’t think he’ll do anything to me. I’ll be fine.” Danny sounded suddenly tired.

Rachel’s eyes were large as she looked over at Steve who was holding a syringe. “What are you going to do with that?”  
And that was apparently all the warning Danny got before feeling a brief sting in his arm. “What was that? What did you do?”

“That ensures your cooperation and that you don’t injure yourself. Now come on. We have to leave okay?” Steve was looming over Danny, holding out his arms as Danny slumped a little.

“You just drugged him! What the hell?” Rachel had moved to Danny’s other side.

“Rachel, I’ll be okay. Actually, I’m feeling pretty good.” Danny was looking rather goofy as Steve carefully lifted him up off the chair.

“So, are you going to tell me your name?” Steve’s voice was soft, almost tender.

“I’m Danny Williams.”

 

END CHAPTER 1


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve takes Danny to Oahu where they discover some coincidences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and left kudos so far. Hope you like this story and all feedback is most welcome.

The voices were muffled and far away. Danny had trouble keeping his eyes open and his limbs felt uncoordinated. He tried to roll over, but his surroundings seemed to be in motion and it made him a little queasy. The man next to him became aware of movement and placed a soothing hand on his shoulder and held him firmly in place until he settled down again.

“Shhh… s’okay. Stay down.”

The moment the hand was gone, Danny felt as though he was floating again. That hand somehow anchored him and he tried reaching out, but there was nothing there.

 

The next time Danny woke up he was alone in a strange bed. It was very comfortable and he snuggled down against the mattress after a languid stretch. Blinking sleepily, he ran a hand over his face, finding too much stubble. Looking down, he noticed he was no longer wearing his tuxedo, but a Navy SEAL t shirt. Taking a quick look under the covers, he was relieved to find that he was at least wearing boxers.

“Took you a while to wake up. I must have overdosed you slightly. Sorry about that, but I think it’s because you’re little, no offense.” 

Danny jumped at the voice that came from the far end of the room, near the window where the curtains were drawn against the bright afternoon light.

“Where am I?” His voice cracked slightly on the last word and he coughed as he tried to clear his throat. Steve came over to his side holding a glass of water.

“Oahu.”

With a short bark of laughter, Danny tried his voice again. “It sounded like you said Oahu.”

“That’s what I said.” came the amused reply.

“As in Hawaii?! Are you insane? You brought me to Hawaii?!!”

Danny started coughing again and thirstily downed half the glass of water. He had many questions and now as his mind was clearing, he realized what a ridiculous situation he found himself in. He didn’t know this man’s name. In fact, he didn’t really know anything about him. He still didn’t understand why he had been dreaming about a complete stranger and the oddest thing of all was that this man was having dreams about him too. Were they connected in some way? And if so - why?

Steve seemed as disturbed by the whole situation as he was and somehow that made Danny feel better. 

“Why did you allow me to take you? You could have fought, but you didn’t.” Steve’s look was thoughtful as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

“You weren’t exactly playing fair. I get the feeling I would’ve ended up here no matter what. Has anyone ever told you that you’re a bully?”

 

“You can’t tell me that you wouldn’t want to get to the root of this kind of mystery. You’re a detective.”

 

“Looks like you’ve done your homework. Okay, so maybe I pretended I didn’t know what you were talking about. I don’t know you. How do you discuss this with a stranger? Truth is, I’ve been having dreams too and seeing you in the flesh freaked me out. I never saw your face in my dream, but somehow I knew it was you. I was… It was weird and I was curious.” Danny was in a state of restless motion and turned onto his side, hugging his pillow. Steve shifted closer and placed a careful hand on his calf.

Registering the hand that was now moving up to his thigh and down again, Danny continued quietly. “I’m not gay, but I liked getting fucked in my dream. It felt so real. Even after I woke up, it’s like I could still feel your hands on me. If that isn’t strange, I don’t know what is.”

“Was that hard to say? You can’t even look at me.” Steve sounded annoyed and Danny wasn’t really sure why.  


“This is awkward. It’s not that easy for me. I feel like I’m exposing myself in front of a stranger.”  
Danny shifted again, and pulled the pillow over his face. Steve’s hand never left his thigh. “It’s not a normal situation to be dreaming about someone you’ve never met. Added to that, they’re a different type of sex dream than I’m used to.”

“They’re only dreams, but you’re right, dreaming about someone you’ve never met is bizarre.” 

Danny had turned onto his back, causing Steve’s hand to come to rest high on his thigh, a bit too close to his crotch.

“So mystery solved, I guess. See? You didn’t have to bring me all the way out here. I should get going. Could you get your people to take me to the airport?” The muffled comment from beneath the pillow made Steve smile.

“Uh uh. Nothing’s been resolved. You’re a cop. You know that identifying an issue isn’t the same as solving it. You’re staying right here.”

“I get how weird all of this is, and as intrigued as I am, we both have lives to get on with. I’m working on a case and I have to get back to Jersey.”

“What are you working on?”

“Can’t tell you. All I can say is that the gala was not a social event for me.”

“Nor me. I was working too. We’ve just discussed dreaming about fucking each other’s brains out. I’m sure you could tell me what you’re working on. Who would I tell? Besides, I have contacts in Naval Intelligence. Maybe I can help.”

Steve shifted a little closer to Danny and didn’t remove his hand. “I have no problem telling you what I’m working on. My investigation seems to be going in circles, though. I’m Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett and two nights ago was more work than play. I’m not officially allowed on the case, but we were looking into my father’s murder. We had a lead that took us to that gala.”

“Are you telling me I’ve been out for thirty six hours?” Danny thought of how worried Rachel must be and of all the sudden coincidences, but there were too many and his head was spinning.

“Do you need to call anyone? I already said I was sorry for overdosing you.” Steve was practically pouting and Danny looked at him in confusion.

“I’d like to hear the rest of your story first.” Danny couldn’t believe that he was humoring this man.

Steve continued. “I was chasing after this guy Hesse for some time and somehow it led me to a man called Wo Fat. He’s very elusive, so when we got a tip that he might be at that gala, I decided to attend. The evening was turning out to be a total waste until you arrived.” Steve sounded frustrated. 

Danny who was about to try and shift from beneath Steve’s hand, stopped mid action. Instead he cast the pillow aside. “Wo Fat? We’re investigating the same guy? You’ve got to be kidding!”

“What?! Okay, so now you have to stay. The guy is connected and Hawaii is his seat of power so to speak. Do you want to do what you did in Jersey… just here?” Steve’s hand had moved up to Danny’s side and though that hand was no longer making him squirm, the touch was very intimate, and he was surprised that he liked it.

 

“Fine.”

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

The next few weeks were a whirlwind of activity. Steve did his best to get his new friend moved in. Danny didn’t realize that the transition would be as smooth as it was and did his best to settle in at HPD by keeping his head down and ignoring the haole jokes and jibes at his attire. Focusing on his work proved easy enough as his investigation kept him occupied.

The weather was always perfect, except on days when there were sudden showers. The calls from Rachel kept him going on days when he was so homesick, he could cry. Steve’s behavior was a surprise as he’d drop by unexpectedly to check on the progress of the investigation, but Danny knew that he was secretly checking up on him. He liked that Steve cared that much. Today was no exception.  
Danny walked out into the afternoon sunshine to see the man idly leaning against his car, his beloved car that Steve had flown out to the islands. Another nice surprise. He was starting to like him – maybe more than he should. He was quickly snapped out of his thoughts by Steve’s laughter.

“God, aren’t you hot in that tie?” Steve had pushed away from the car and was already holding out a hand for the keys.

 

Danny rolled his eyes at the teasing comment and loosened his tie, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. “Happy now? And hello to you too SuperSEAL.”

Steve was still laughing when he walked right up to Danny. He undid his tie, his fingertips lightly brushing Danny’s collarbone. There was a hitch in Danny’s breathing and when he looked up, it was to Steve’s knowing smile. Danny hadn’t seen that smile before and wondered what it meant.

 

Later as they sat at one of Steve’s favorite lunchtime haunts, they went over Danny’s case. Danny was amused by their very pretty waitress trying to flirt with both him and Steve. The SEAL seemed completely oblivious and on being blatantly ignored, she focused all her charms on Danny. He couldn’t help but enjoy the attention and got more than an eyeful when she leaned over him to refill their water glasses. It was Danny’s delighted smile and eye contact with their waitress that finally got Steve’s attention. 

For a second time that afternoon Danny’s attention was brought back to his friend’s actions. A large hand laid carefully over his forearm sent a clear message to the waitress and gave Danny an unexpected jolt of pleasure. 

Danny could feel his face heating, and on looking up from his arm, noticed Steve’s questioning look.

“Danny, it’s time I got you back to HPD.” Steve was all business again and without another word, he rose and ushered Danny out towards the car.

 

“What is wrong with you? Did you even notice that she was trying to flirt with you?”

“If I remember correctly, she didn’t have her boobs pressed up in my face.” Steve was determinedly looking straight head.

“Well at least you noticed that. So you’re not totally out of it.”

On seeing Steve’s clenched jaw, Danny came to a realization. He stepped out in front of Steve, forcing the other man to face him. “Are you jealous?”

“Yeah, sure Danny.” All of Steve’s earlier humor was gone, but Danny didn’t notice. Steve had stepped around him and was dutifully holding the passenger door open for him. It was only after he had taken his seat that he realized what they had just done.

“Did you just hold the door for me?” Noticing Steve’s embarrassment, Danny dropped the subject.

 

The two men left it at that, but each knew that the other didn’t actually want to date their waitress.

 

As weeks turned into months, Danny found he actually liked some things about this bright and colorful place. He was not going to admit this to Steve, though. It was far too much fun to watch Steve defending his home.

The SEAL had an easy charm and didn’t think anything of throwing an arm around Danny’s neck, pulling him in close. Danny didn’t even mind Steve teasing him about calling him ‘babe’.

 

It happened on a night when on a whim, Steve had decided to build a fire on the beach behind the house. Once they’d settled by their newly built fire, Steve pulled off his shirt. Danny caught himself looking at Steve – really looking, appraising. He looked amazing in the firelight, shadows accentuating the SEAL’s muscular physique. If it came to it, would he want to be with a man? Though he couldn’t answer that yet, he could admit that if Steve were female, he’d be dating him and they’d probably have rounded off the night having sex. The very thought made Danny smile. Realizing that Steve had caught him staring, he self consciously cleared his throat and judging from the man’s tone, Steve been saying his name for a while.

“Where did you just go? Was it somewhere good?”

Danny’s embarrassed laugh made Steve smile, but there was no humor for either man. 

 

"Did you come? In your dream." The question was random and unexpected.

 

Danny blushed. Steve could see the tips of his ears turning pink and the flush creeping up the back of his neck. He reached out to touch him there, but Danny’s tone made him stop halfway.

 

"Why do you always ask awkward questions? What is wrong with you?" Danny was on the defensive so Steve continued to push.

 

"If you talk, I'll stop asking. Did I make you come?"

 

"Yes! Okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?" Danny swung round. His tone was harsh, but Steve found only fear in his eyes. He looked lost.

 

"Can I kiss you or are you going to take a swing at me?" Steve ducked his head and leaned a little closer.

 

There was a sharp intake of breath from Danny as Steve leaned all the way over and brought their mouths together. When Steve moved away, the other man still had his eyes closed. He couldn’t resist resting a warm hand on the back of Danny’s neck. With a gentle touch to Danny’s cheek, he spoke.

“Was that what you wanted?” The words were spoken softly, as though the SEAL were afraid to hear the reply.

“You know?” Danny’s voice sounded small and a little scared. Wide blue eyes stared back at the SEAL.

“I know – because I feel it too.” The SEAL gripped the back of Danny’s neck, bringing their heads together.

“What now?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

END CHAPTER 2


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds out more about Danny and Danny's dream returns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and your encouragement.

The two men made an unspoken decision to not do anything more until they had time to think about what was happening and what they wanted. Steve was both relieved and disappointed and it seemed Danny shared his conflicted emotions.

 

The next morning Steve returned from his swim to find his detective gone. He stopped scrubbing at his hair and dropped the towel onto the kitchen counter after noticing a note left by his friend. His bouyant mood was rapidly deflating. Had he pushed Danny too far? Annoyance at his hasty actions and apprehension made his heart beat faster. He was never good at waiting for anything. He wasn’t sure where this thing with Danny would go, but he knew that he was already so attached to the man that he wouldn’t be able to let him go.

 

He tried to focus on the note, dreading what it might do to change his life. A moment later he huffed out a relieved sigh as Danny had merely been called into work early. He was still concerned over the fact that they hadn’t spoken about what had transpired the night before, but as he was left no alternative, he put that particular discussion on the back burner for the moment.

 

Steve and Danny were careful around each other in the days following their kiss. Thinking about kissing Danny again and perhaps doing something more, occupied Steve’s thoughts. He went swimming more frequently to help deal with the frustration he felt at not being able to get close to the diminutive blond. Was he avoiding him? 

 

It was a warm afternoon when Joe found him drying off on his beach after yet another swim.

 

“Don’t you think it’s time you snapped out of that mood?” Joe was staring out over the ocean.

 

“Excuse me?” Steve had momentarily stopped what he was doing, shaking water out of his curls.

 

“You need to fix this thing with Danny, whatever it is. Make it right because you are both miserable.”

 

“And when did you come to this conclusion?”

 

“Just now, in fact. I just came from a rendezvous with your detective and his mood is as dark as yours. Brooding doesn’t suit him. That is something that you do. Steve, something is weighing him down. Talk to him.”

 

“With all due respect, sir, do you realize what you’re advising me to do?”

 

“Steve, I might be old, but I’ve seen just about everything. I can see how you feel about Daniel. You need to figure out what it is you both want and make it work.”

 

“Did you come here specifically to give me relationship advice?” Steve was smirking at his former CO.

 

“Not at all. I’ve been gathering and verifying information. Wo Fat is not on the islands at the moment, but I have a reliable source who informed me that he’ll be returning because he’s working on putting together an arms deal. We need to find out exactly when and be ready.”

Steve didn’t immediately talk to Danny. He waited a few days. It was far too important to say things in the right way. He also realized that he couldn’t get the regular updates on his father’s case as they were avoiding each other. 

Eventually he gathered enough courage to talk to Danny. His days seemed empty and colorless without Danny’s randomness. He missed him. Preparing one of Danny’s favorite dishes was his way of creating the perfect environment for them to talk through what had happened between them.  
When his friend returned to the house that evening, Steve instinctively knew something was amiss.

Danny had been wanting to talk to Steve about their kiss, but he felt foolish and didn’t know how to initiate such a conversation. They were guys and he wasn’t sure if men talked about feelings. It had been a long hot day and he was bone weary. All he wanted was to step into a cool shower and maybe sleep a little.

“Danny, you okay? You don’t look so good.” Steve had already come back from the kitchen with a glass of water, which Danny took gratefully.

He tottered over to the couch and sat down heavily, sending water sloshing over the rim of his glass. 

“I think I need to slow down. It’s so warm in here.”

“I think you have a fever. Danny, you’re burning up!” Steve had laid the back of his hand over Danny’s forehead. The other man slumped sideways, closing his eyes.  
Steve tried his best to revive his friend, but Danny was unresponsive. He quickly lifted him off the couch and carried him off to the shower. Minutes later, Danny began to move, complaining listlessly about the cold water raining down on both of them. Steve was relieved that Danny had at least opened his eyes as he brought him out from under the spray. By the time he had them both stripped down and dried off, the smaller man had passed out again.  
He frantically struggled to get an unconscious Danny into fresh clothes and downstairs into the car. Steve shot worried glances in Danny’s direction all the way to the hospital. Once there, he was ushered into a waiting room where it seemed an eternity passed before a doctor came to give him an update on Danny’s condition.

The doctor was very polite and informed him of the tests being run as Danny had an infection and they needed to establish which antibiotic would work best. It was the doctor’s parting comment that both confused and surprised Steve. He assumed they were a couple and advised Steve about antibiotics and family planning. Steve was too tired and worried to truly process the information.  
He really only wanted to see Danny and be sure that he would recover. He stayed by Danny’s bedside and told his sleeping friend all of the things he remembered about his father. Fortunately Danny began to respond to his treatment and was released a few days later.

Though Danny was one of the worst patients, Steve nonetheless enjoyed having him all to himself. Steve took time off work to take care of his friend who complained about being forced to eat healthier food.  
Danny secretly liked the attention he was getting, but was frustrated about the slow progress he was making. Even though he felt weak, he forced himself to go for walks when Steve went swimming. Soon he was well enough to go back to HPD and his case load.

Steve, in the meantime had had time to think over what the doctor had told him at the hospital and decided to do some digging by looking through Danny’s medical history. What he found was surprising and though he wanted to speak to Danny about it, he felt that he had no right, at least not yet. The opportunity to talk to Danny about their kiss was lost and now he was adding to the list of things that were left unsaid.

Danny liked Joe and between the two of them it didn’t take very long to get a much needed lead. He drove out to the north shore to follow up new information on a possible location for Wo Fat’s deal. It was on his way back to HPD that he noticed the same SUV had stayed directly behind him since leaving the country house. Unexpectedly, the vehicle sped out from behind him. He was on a deserted stretch of road when the SUV caught up to him. He did his best to avoid a collision, but in the process, was forced off the road. His car stalled, but he stayed alert, ready for whatever came next. The SUV’s doors were thrown open and three men in ski masks rushed out. His door was yanked open and he was dragged out and shoved up against the side of his car. He was outnumbered so he decided to not start a pointless fight.  
“Stay out of this haole. It’s not your concern.”  
Danny helplessly looked on as one of the men used a knife to let the air out of his tires. They let him go and were gone soon after. He was shaken by his experience and was mildly annoyed with himself for wishing Steve were with him. He called the SEAL.

What seemed like ages later, the Steve arrived. He had many questions about what had happened which made Danny a little suspicious.

 

Later as they sat on Steve’s couch, Danny brought up the topic. “Who were they Steve?”

 

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”

 

“Babe, I think you know and there seems to be a lot you’re not telling me. You acted almost guilty today. What’s going on? Those guys had the upper hand and they didn’t even touch me.”

 

“It’s unlikely they would have hurt you. I have a theory, but I have to follow up on it before I can tell you anything more. I need you to trust me for now. Can I get back to you on this?” Steve was in his personal space again and wrapped an arm around him. It was hard to concentrate and he found himself nodding and relaxing against the solid presence next to him.

 

Danny dreamed about Steve that night. It was similar to the dreams they had spoken about before and the room they were in resembled Steve’s bedroom. The images were clearer and he could see more of his friend. On waking he was hard, but he felt some leftover emotions from his dream that he could only equate to terror.  
He desperately jerked off in the shower and although he felt much better afterwards, he couldn’t shake off his unease.

 

He decided to talk to Steve about it.

“I don’t understand what’s changed. It’s actually the first time I’ve had that dream since I arrived on the islands, but something’s different. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I was terrified and I was still feeling that way when I woke up.”

 

“Are you sure that it isn’t just down to your run in with the guys in that SUV?”

 

“I don’t know, babe. It’s possible. I could see more of you. I could see your face, but it felt like I was losing everything.”

 

“It’s this case, Danny. We make a little progress and then everything seems to fizzle out. Maybe we need to take time out?”

 

“Can’t think of a worse time to do that.”

 

“It’ll only be a few days. The governor contacted me with a pretty interesting offer. I could have a task force to run which means I can investigate my dad’s murder. I’d have to transfer to the reserves, but I’m not sure I can do that. The Navy is all I know.”

 

Danny took Steve’s hand in both of his. “It’s a great opportunity. At least consider it before you make a choice. I support whatever you decide to do.”

 

END CHAPTER 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny eavesdrops on a very strange conversation.

Danny was visiting the Naval base to talk to Steve. He had his own theories about the SUV situation and wanted to share them with his friend. He heard slightly raised voices coming from Steve’s office which made him decide to delay knocking. Instead he listened. He had a pang of guilt which vanished when he heard the topic of conversation.  
He chided himself for having left his phone with the notes he’d made regarding his new leads in his car. He had ideas of his own about the men in the SUV. He wanted his phone, but he also didn’t want to miss any parts of the conversation.

“You have to get your detective to back off this case. We’ve protected him up to this point, but not only is he arousing the interest of these very unsavory people, he is starting to tread on toes.”

“He’s a great detective and his efforts have been very helpful so far. Why can we not cooperate with HPD?”

 

“You are biased Commander. This case started with Naval Intelligence. Distract him. What about a baby?”

Danny was really interested in the conversation now - and confused. He continued to listen.

“Sir?”

 

“Oh for god’s sakes Commander! Get him pregnant! A baby will completely derail his investigation, of course, but his attention will be diverted and the result will be the same. Daniel will be off the case and safe and we’ll be able to reel Wo Fat in ourselves.”

 

“Sir, I’m not sure I follow this conversation. Do you perhaps know something I don’t?”

 

“Commander, when Detective Williams came up on my radar via this case, I had him investigated. We have his entire history. We have yours, why not his?” Steve’s CO was growing impatient.

 

“I’m not inclined to want to remove him from this investigation seeing as I’m not allowed on the case. Why can we not bring him on board? He made this case for us and this is very important to me. It seems a little ungrateful and unfair.” Steve’s cool façade was slipping and he was becoming very annoyed at the infuriating man in his office.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Outside the office door Danny was having difficulty making sense of what he was listening to. He never heard the footsteps approaching.

“Why don’t you step inside sir?” The voice came from behind Danny. He’d been so wrapped up in the conversation that he couldn’t help flinching at the officer’s voice. He couldn’t tell how much the man had heard or what he knew from his enquiring look.

“Oh, um… I forgot something. Be right back.” 

Danny tried to sidestep the other man, but he stepped into his path, preventing a quick escape. He only wanted some time to process what he’d heard before confronting Steve with it, but this didn’t seem likely at this stage.

“I strongly suggest you step inside.” The other man’s tone was dispassionate and his face unreadable. 

Putting his hands up, Danny turned and walked back to the door. “Fine, whatever.”

Danny was gently guided into the room. Steve couldn’t read the look on his face because it kept changing. Suspicion, confusion, anger and hurt all passed over his features. He felt as though he was stepping into hostile territory.

 

Steve, however, seemed genuinely pleased to see him and why this made him feel better was a mystery.

“Danny! Hey! We were just talking about you! I missed you.” Steve gestured for him to approach.

 

“I wonder why.” Danny said under his breath.

 

Steve gave him a funny look through narrowed eyes, but sat down on the sofa, pulling Danny down next to him. He immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulder as he kissed his temple. Danny had to close his eyes at the contact. He liked the attention and being this important to Steve. It only made what he had to do that much harder.

The officer who had entered the office with Danny was on the other end of the room talking to his CO in hushed tones. Danny shot a dirty look in his direction whenever they looked at him. They seemed to find something rather urgent to do and after excusing themselves, left Steve and Danny alone.

 

“Is everything okay? I wasn’t expecting you here today.”

 

“I can tell.” came the sarcastic reply.

 

“Okay, will you please tell me what’s going on with you? Why are you throwing snarky comments at me? I’m sure that’s not why you came here.”  
Steve leaned away from Danny and gave him a look that said he wanted an explanation.

 

“I heard part of your conversation with your CO. What you guys were talking about made no sense. I’m confused and I’m really pissed at you, but I’m not even sure how angry I should be or what’s going on.”

 

“Baby you’re rambling. Please can you start at the beginning?”

 

“Why do you want me off my case and what on earth were you two talking about getting me pregnant? Did I at least hear that part right? Because that right there makes no sense, does it? Steve what’s going on?”

 

“You heard right. I don’t want you off the case at all, but my CO does and was suggesting I get you pregnant.” Steve’s tone was careful as he watched for Danny’s reaction.

 

“Okay, still not making sense. Can you explain this from the start. What do you know and why is all of this sounding a little sci fi to me?”  
Danny was gesturing wildly and looking rather aggravated.

 

“Are you actually saying you don’t know about this? How is that even possible?” Steve was now confused as well, but didn’t want to upset Danny any further.

 

“I wouldn’t be asking you if I knew what was going on. Can you please just tell me what you know?”

 

“I can’t do this here. Let’s go home.”

 

The two men didn’t speak at all on the way to the house and when they stepped through the door, Danny automatically went to the kitchen to get a couple of beers. The moment he sat down on the couch, Steve moved into the spot next to him. He was close, but still allowed Danny the space he so obviously needed.

Steve took a long drink from his bottle and contemplated the best way to tell his friend what he knew. Danny was quiet, but Steve could feel his eyes on him.

“It was when you had a fever. You were so sick and while we were at the hospital a full range of tests were done to build up a file in addition to what was sent from Jersey. It was then that we…”

 

“What? So my doctor told you, but not me?” Danny’s voice had risen and was sounding comical.

 

“It wasn’t like that. He thought that we needed to know about the effects of antibiotics if we weren’t planning to have a baby soon. He thought we were together.”

 

“I didn’t think I could be more horrified by all this, but let’s hear the rest of it.” Danny’s look was one of disbelief.

 

“I was surprised too. It was something so random. And what are you trying to say? Is the thought of having my kid that terrible?”

 

“I never said that and when did this become about you?”

The two men were all set to start bickering again when Steve stopped and took a deep breath. He was trying to talk himself into backing away from this confrontation. When he spoke again he felt much calmer.

“I thought it was something that was private, something you didn’t want anyone to know. I had no idea you didn’t know. I decided that if you didn’t bring it up, I wouldn’t either.” 

Danny was unhappy with the knowledge that Steve knew this about him before he did and that he had to find out through an eavesdropped conversation. 

“Okay, so, what? I can have babies? Steve, that’s crazy! Wait a minute! Does my mom know? I mean, do my parents know?”

 

“I have no idea and I didn’t think it was my place to interfere. Danny… I…” Steve looked uncomfortable and shifted about uneasily.

 

“Okay, so you know this about me. You found out and then what? Were you going to keep quiet? Were you ever going to ask me about it? I overhear your conversation and then I still have to drag it out of you. You think you don’t have any right to ask my parents. Steve, that’s really messed up!”

 

“Danny, you’re not exactly being fair. You can’t put all of this on me. I don’t know what I was supposed to do. I want to help. Please tell me what I can do to help you with this.”

Steve moved a little closer to Danny. He was careful to not touch, even though he really wanted to hold him. The other man put up a finger that somehow was reminiscent of a gesture Rachel made and this inexplicably irritated Steve.

 

“Do not touch me right now. I can’t actually be here.”

Steve moved closer. He was nearly pressed up against the other man, but this time Danny moved away.

 

“If you touch me I swear I will punch you in the face. I’m going home. I have to talk to my parents.” Danny looked up bitterly. “I guess your CO gets what he wants. I’m backing off the case.”

 

Danny was taken aback by Steve’s sudden outburst of anger. “The hell you are! You’re staying on the case and you’re staying put! I’ll fly your mom in for you - both your parents if you want. You’re just not leaving here.”

 

“I don’t trust you Steve.”

The words were spoken quietly, but they hurt nonetheless.

 

“I can’t tell you what to think, but I’m the one person you can trust. You’ll just have to discover that for yourself.”

 

Danny looked like he’d lost his best friend. Steve was worried about damaging what they had and never knowing where it could have led. He felt partly responsible for the situation they found themselves in and knew that if he let Danny go he might never return. 

Steve followed an impulse and in a fluid movement, surged forward. Danny was pinned against back of the couch as he had the breath kissed out of him.

The SEAL felt Danny stiffen in surprise. As he held him tighter, Danny resisted, but with a soft sob, he felt the other man melt against him. 

This is not how he wanted to get close to Danny. It was all wrong. 

 

END CHAPTER 4


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny talks to his mother and there is more bickering.

They sat huddled together for a while until Danny began to squirm. Sniffing loudly, he dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a shirt cuff. He rested his head against Steve’s chest and took comfort from the arm around his shoulder.

“I need to talk to my mom. I still can’t believe this. She must know. I just don’t understand why she’d keep something like this from me.”

 

“There will be some kind of reason. There usually is and even if it’s going to be hard, try to not make any assumptions until you’ve spoken to her. You’ll make yourself crazy. If you want to leave, I understand. I’m really sorry you had to find out about this in such a crappy way.” 

Steve sounded dejected. He didn’t want Danny to leave. They had seen each other every day since his arrival on the islands and he wasn’t sure he could get through a day without his scrappy personality.

 

“Well, I was hoping we could go with your suggestion and ask my parents to come here. I kind of like that idea. I’d like to keep going with this case as well if you don’t mind.”

Steve’s entire face lit up at Danny’s words. Danny was bouncing back from his shock rather well and Steve was cautiously hopeful that everything would work out well.

“Are you actually admitting that my idea’s good?”

 

“Shut up Steve.”

 

Danny gave Steve a rather watery smile, but he was feeling better now that he had a plan. That night he found it difficult to sleep and tossed and turned. He decided to go outside in the hopes that the sea air might clear his head and found the lanai already had an occupant. 

 

“You too?” Steve was in his hammock, motioning for him to come over.

 

“It’s too hot to sleep and my mind won’t stop racing. My head is telling me that until I talk to my mom all of this is just a story, but once I’ve spoken to her, everything will change. I'm pissed that she kept something so important from me. Even Jersey isn’t the same home anymore. Does that sound stupid?”

 

“Not at all. It does change everything, but your life is still your life, no matter what. I get that you wonder about how things would have been for you if you’d been told from the start, but you make your own choices.”  
Steve pulled him down next to him and the rocking motion from the hammock soon had him calmed down and clinging on to the other man. Steve’s arms went around him and it was easy for Danny to just reach up to bring their lips together.

When they parted Steve looked thoughtful. “I like you, regardless. You are very important to me and I just needed for you to know that, especially now.”

 

“I know that, babe, but it never gets old to hear it. We need to get some shut eye, but I know I won’t sleep if I go back to my room. Can I sleep in your bed?”

 

“What, while I’m in it?” Steve’s question made Danny chuckle to himself.

 

“Of course, you doof. If I wanted to be alone, I’d sleep in my own bed.”

 

“Danny, are you sure you want to do that?” 

 

“Sure, we’ll just be sharing a bed. No funny stuff.”

 

Danny’s humor was making a reappearance. Steve realized that he couldn’t deny Danny anything. He was afraid to let him in any further, but he didn’t think he could handle being without him close by.

The following morning Steve couldn’t move. He had a sleep warm Jersey detective sprawled across his chest, his arm was asleep and he needed the bathroom. He didn’t want to wake Danny who looked very peaceful. 

Their morning wallow was cut short by Danny’s phone. He grumbled something unintelligible and rolled off Steve to answer the call. A moment later he sat up and looked sleepily over at Steve.

 

“It’s okay, Danny. Go. I’ll come by later to see you. Are you going to be okay?”

 

Danny didn’t answer, but leaned over and kissed Steve. It wasn’t like the careful kind of kiss from the night before. Danny was becoming bolder.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny seemed apprehensive as they waited for his parents at the airport. He was unusually quiet as he paced and fidgeted. Steve knew the moment he saw Danny’s mother. She looked exactly like her photograph, only more youthful in person. Their son had his father’s stockiness and his mother’s blonde looks. Danny was frozen in place and it took a shove from Steve to get him to welcome them.

 

Clara had been told very little about the reason for the visit, nonetheless, she was very happy to see her son. Danny was quiet all the way back to the hotel and Clara filled the conversational gap with stories of Danny’s sisters while Eddie quizzed Steve about his work. Eddie's initial suspicion of Steve had vanished after he was regaled with stories of time that Steve had spent in New Jersey.

It was after Eddie and Clara were settled into their hotel suite and Clara had come to see them off, that she asked the question.

“Danny, you’d tell me if something was wrong, wouldn’t you?”

 

Danny didn’t answer immediately. 

 

“I’m happy to have a break from grey weather, but I guess there’s another reason we’re here.”

 

“You settle in and we’ll talk tomorrow, okay?”

Danny sounded tired.

 

They were well clear of the hotel when Steve spoke.

“Don’t you think you were a little rude to your mom?”

It irritated Danny when Steve didn’t keep any eye on the traffic.

 

“First of all, will you stop trying to get us killed and tell me, how would you have handled this differently? I didn't think it'd be this hard. I don’t know how to talk to her. Once I know what’s going on, I’ll be able to figure out whether we still have a relationship or not.”

 

Steve decided to not push anymore and the day was perfectly horrible with Danny sulking.

 

The following morning, Steve was woken by a knock on the front door. To his surprise, there was a smiling Clara on his doorstep looking for her son.

 

Steve stepped aside as she lightly brushed past him, openly admiring the house. 

“Close your mouth, Steve, I can find my way around the island by myself, you know. Finding your home was easy enough. Where’s my Danny? Does he still hate mornings?"

 

Steve was laughing now as he directed Clara towards the kitchen.

 

“I’ll go and get him for you. You might want to sit out back. You’d like it. It’s kind of peaceful out there.”

 

She acknowledged him with a nod and a smile and disappeared through the back door.

 

 

Danny shuffled slowly towards where his mother was seated near the beach. He was still getting used to the slippahs Steve had bought for him. He sat down and offered her a drink from a tray he was carrying.

 

“Okay, Danny, what’s going on?” She wasn’t looking at him and he couldn’t decide whether that made this easier or not. 

She was getting right to the point, so Danny did the same.

 

“I was really sick recently and the local doc ran a lot of tests. The tests revealed something I didn't know. It's something you would've known. Ma, why didn’t you ever tell me that I’m a little different, that I can give birth? Why would you keep something like that from me?”

Clara sat a little straighter and almost seemed to flinch at her son’s words. Instead of an explanation, she had questions.

 

“Is this about the young Commander? He’s nice. Are you seeing him, Danny?”

 

Danny was unprepared for this and came back with more anger than he intended.

 

“I don’t see how that is any of your business. This is about me and how you kept something very important from me. Can you please tell me why?”

 

“We were going to tell you, your father and I… if you were… You weren’t gay Danny, so we decided to not say anything. We didn’t think it was relevant and we wanted you to have a normal life.”

 

Danny’s anger left him when he saw the look in his mother’s eyes. She was afraid. She didn’t want to lose her son. He realized that his parents had good intentions, but he still was left with the same amount of issues.

 

“Okay, mom, I get it, but I need some time to process all this. I’ll make sure I’m around to take you to the airport.”

With that, Danny rose from his chair and walked off.

 

Danny’s parents left two weeks later. He was courteous and had showed his parents around the island and true to his word, he was there to drive them to the airport. Steve wasn’t sure of his state of mind and soon things became very interesting.

 

They were bickering constantly and as it turned out it was because Danny was having a hard time with the knowledge that he could bear children. He was downright confrontational. 

Steve was ambushed one day as he was walking into his bedroom with freshly laundered clothes. Danny was right on his heels.

“What did I tell you about using my hair gel, huh? What did I tell you? It’s not even that I mind you using it. It’s when you leave the cap off that I get really mad!”

“Danny, it was just an oversight. I’m sorry.”

“Just an oversight he tells me! Not good enough! You keep doing it and it makes me crazy!”

Steve dropped their laundry, snatched the tube of hair gel from a stunned looking Danny and tossed it across the room. He grabbed the other man by the wrist, dragging him a little further into the room. He threw him down on the bed, straddling him.

“Okay, talk!” Steve had taken hold of Danny’s wrists and held them firmly near his head.

“I have nothing to say to you. You’ve been really annoying lately.”

“Danny, you’ve been in a vile mood ever since your parentsleft. What’s going on?”  


Danny was squirming around, trying to get free, but Steve was having none of it. Steve being so close was making him hard and he wasn’t the only one. He snuck a look at Steve’s crotch and felt relieved that he wasn’t the only one affected.  
It was as though Steve was reading his thoughts.

“I’m not the bad guy that you insist on thinking I am. My CO’s suggestion was ridiculous, of course, but if I was some kind of idiot, I could have forced you if I’d wanted to, but I wouldn’t do that, not if you really didn’t want this, but I am going to do things to you that will leave you begging.”  


“No.” Danny’s blue eyes were defiant and he strained at Steve’s iron grip on his wrists.  


“No? Is that why you’re hard Danny? I can feel you. Why are you being so difficult? And what’s got you so scared?”

“You’re imagining things. Get off me.”

“You suck at lying Danny. I had a friend in junior high who said the same things and acted like you are now.”

“What, you think I’m being bullied? That’s nuts!”

“Is it? Who’s giving you a hard time?”

“I’m a grown man. I don’t need you fighting my battles for me.”

“Okay, fine. Then we do this the hard way. I’ll start asking questions and find out for myself.”

“No, wait. I’m having a tough time dealing with all this, okay. I thought it will be like before, but my head’s a mess. I need to find out so much. Steve, I can get pregnant and I need to find out more about that. How do I even do that? On top of that, someone’s gone and spread the news about… you know.” Danny found a spot on Steve’s chest very interesting and refused to meet his eyes.

“Look at me. They don’t matter. Cops can be idiots sometimes.”

“Well it was one of yours that spread the story, so I guess that you only have one another’s backs. It’s probably one of your CO’s minions. I think the military staff here have big mouths.”

“Danny I’m really sorry. Look, we can go and see your doc and get some advice, okay? I may have a solution to your other issue. And, no, it’s not running away. It means I can work my dad’s case and we can work together. The governor has made resources available to start a task force. I’m making you my partner.”

“Do I get any say in this?”

“No.”

 

END CHAPTER 5


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Steve take a step that brings them closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read, left kudos and enjoyed this story so far. I appreciate the support and feedback.

Danny marveled at the speed and enthusiasm with which Steve had assembled the task force. He gave a thought to whether the other members had been press ganged into joining as well. Steve was like a little kid with a new club house, not that Danny minded much. The SEAL was excited about showing him their new head quarters and introducing him to the rest of the team.

He immediately liked Kono. She was young, fearless and fresh out of the police academy. She was Chin’s younger cousin and was also the most like Steve. Both Steve and Chin initially limited the amount of time he spent alone with Kono. This annoyed Danny. Chin, like Steve had transferred to the reserves and once Danny got to know him a little more, he realized that the older man was a genuinely good person.

There was none of the chafing of new partnerships for any of them. They were all linked together in some way and immediately fell into a good rhythm. Danny especially liked that the task force’s name held special significance.

Five 0 for the moment didn’t have any cases of their own, so the team’s efforts were put to following up leads on Wo Fat’s arms deal. The team regularly went for meals, but one evening in particular, the cousins went off early, leaving Danny and Steve to lock up.  
“Leave the paperwork. I’m taking you to dinner.”

Steve was waiting in Danny’s doorway. The detective was bored out of his mind and jumped at the chance. It wasn’t too much later that they were staring out over beach front, enjoying their meal.

“Tell me about Rachel.” Steve’s tone was mild, but the curiosity was there.

“We’ve been friends for a long time. I can tell her almost anything and I trust her. She has a daughter, Grace, a really good kid. Why?” 

“That evening at the gala. You two looked married.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Seeing the two of you irritated me a little, I can admit to that. I like to know who the competition is.”  
The comment made Danny smile. It gave him a small thrill to know that Steve might feel that he needed to compete for his attention.

“She’s like a sister. It never occurred to me to even think of her in that way. I’ve trusted Rachel with all of my secrets, but this latest one? I don’t even want to think about. Right now you know more about me than anyone else.”

“Is that a problem for you? Do you want to go and see her? Surely you must miss each other.”

“No, not just yet. I’m okay with just you knowing. While we’re admitting to things, I’d like to say that, I have been thinking about what happened in my dreams. I’m not sure whether it’s influenced my feelings, but I…”

“You want to try?”

“I think so. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Is that crazy?”

“I’m all for it, but I don’t want you to rush into anything.”

The next moment, Steve rose, and taking Danny by the hand, he led him off towards the beach. As they were both staring out over the dark ocean, Danny felt encouraged to say more.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to try everything all at once. I mean, how slow do we take this?”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Later that night as they idly sat on the couch watching a movie, Danny thought it felt strangely like a date. He had enjoyed himself so much and decided to not question Steve’s intentions.

 

The next day, the team caught their very first case and while at the crime scene. Danny and Kono were looking over the body in the driveway. They were sifting through the victim’s belongings while going over theories together. A familiar movement off to his left caught his attention. He unintentionally did a double take as he saw Steve coming out of the house. He looked amazing. Though lean, he was powerfully built and looked very capable, especially today. Danny noticed and couldn’t take his eyes off his partner. Steve caught him staring, a smirk spreading over his beautiful face.

“What?” Steve was striding up to him.

An elbow in the ribs from Kono brought Danny out of his daze. He gave her his best irritated look, but it wasn’t working. Her laughter was infectious and he felt ridiculous for daydreaming about his very annoying partner.  
“When are you two going to admit that you are hot for each other?”

“What are we in junior high now? Did he tell you to talk to me?”

“No, but you are both so stubborn. Everyone knows you’re attracted to him. You should see how his eyes follow you whenever you’re nearby.”  
Danny wasn’t able to keep the surprised look off his face.  
“You’ve got it bad. You could ask him out, but you’ve been dating for weeks now and don’t even know it.”  
Steve was still smirking and Danny was starting to worry. The man was now pressed up against his side and Danny was trapped between Steve and his car. There was a snort of laughter from Kono as she walked off, shaking her head.

“What did you find out?” Danny’s recovery was quick and he was all business again.

“First tell me what were you and Kono talking about.” Steve inhaled deeply and was looking at Danny rather intently.

“What are you doing?” Danny sounded more breathless than he had intended and was suddenly feeling warm all over.

Steve was smirking again and had stepped in front of Danny, moving in close to say his next words right in Danny’s ear.

“You smell great and I’m wondering what your skin would taste like if I ran my tongue over it.”  
Steve had a firm grip on Danny’s wrist and was rubbing circles into Danny’s skin with his thumb. He continued talking without waiting for Danny’s response.  
“It’s all I’ve been thinking about since we talked. It’s amazing to me that you’re interested in going there with me.”

Danny was swaying and had his eyes closed when Steve stepped away from him. Danny’s knees buckled a little, but Steve righted him as Chin was approaching. He physically shook himself and tried to get his body under control. When he looked up at Steve, the only evidence that their conversation actually happened, was an almost imperceptible wink.

“We’re so talking about this when we’re done here.”

“Danny, I’m wanting to do so much more than talk.”

The two men didn’t have an opportunity to talk, but much later when they were home, Danny decided that he might want to continue with what they had started. After dinner he had brought their beers round the back of the house and was looking over the ocean in the fading light.  
Danny had become accustomed to being touched by Steve, so when he appeared behind him, laying first one hand, then another on his shoulders, he didn’t move. When he felt thumbs kneading the tight muscles near his neck, he still didn’t think anything of it. Only when the touches became more subtle, did he think of saying something. When Danny turned, Steve was right there, leaning in. He could smell Steve’s cologne, feel the heat from sundrenched skin. Steve’s mouth was on his, tongue pushing at his lips. Pushy, just like Steve. He opened for him, but was unprepared for the feeling of Steve sucking his tongue into his mouth. It pulled on his cock and he was hard in seconds. A gasp escaped his throat, muffled by Steve’s slick tongue that was now licking over his teeth. Danny shivered and as Steve pulled him closer, he experienced for the first time what it was like to be the sole focus of the SEAL’s attention. Steve clung to Danny like he had waited for him forever and now he was not letting go.

Steve’s hands were everywhere, searching for bare skin, trying to get under Danny’s shirt. They moved down over Danny’s ass, strong fingers kneading the firm muscles there, grinding their hips together.  
Images from Danny’s dreams leapt into his mind as the last of his resolve was crumbled away. There was going to be no talking tonight. He wanted this man.  
Steve was hard and when he spoke his voice was a throaty whisper.

“I want to fuck you.”

Danny panicked a little.

“Babe, it’s easy enough to get someone off with your hands or your mouth. Guys are easy that way, but getting fucked is a different story. It’s… I don’t know. What if I don’t like it, or it hurts, or I don’t get off? That right there is just bad sex and we try to avoid bad sex as much as possible.”  
His erection was flagging and he couldn’t stop the tumble of words. Without a further word, Steve swept him up and brought him indoors.

“Danny, what are you talking about?” Steve had already drawn him close. He was sniffing Danny again.  
“Let’s get you out of these, okay?” Steve’s tone was sweet and soothing, but he meant business with the speed at which he divested Danny of his clothes.

 

It was in this way that Danny found himself on his back with Steve leaning over him, casually caressing the back of his thigh. The man was smiling at him, absently stroking his own cock. A crazy thought popped into Danny’s head that had him nearly giggling hysterically.

“Is this how SEALS multitask?” Danny was smiling now too and Steve actually laughed.

Steve was circling a nipple with his tongue. The sensation made Danny shiver and he wondered what else Steve would do to him with that talented tongue.

“Is this actually going to happen?” Steve voiced what Danny was thinking and all he could do was nod.  
There was no turning back as Steve reached for the lube. He looked to his partner for a reaction as he popped the cap and drizzled the liquid over his fingers.  


“Spread your legs a little more, D.”  


As Danny did so, Steve placed the tenderest of kisses on Danny’s inner thigh, biting down on the soft skin there. Danny shivered as Steve wedged a pillow underneath him.

Danny’s up to now flagging cock was once again starting to take an interest in what was going on. Sensing Danny’s embarrassment, Steve favored him with a delighted smile before taking the head into his mouth. A gasp from Danny was all the encouragement that the SEAL needed. Steve took Danny in further as he started circling his hole with a lubed finger. Danny couldn’t stay still and just as he was getting used to the sensation, the finger was pushed inward, making him jerk. His cock hit the back of Steve’s throat and the other man swallowed around him as he began to pump his finger in and out of Danny’s ass.  
Danny tried to get further into Steve’s mouth, giving in to his urge to thrust. Steve allowed this and added a second finger. Danny could feel the drag of skin as those fingers twisted inside him on the way out. Steve had pulled almost all the way off and sucked strongly on the head of Danny’s cock. There was an uncomfortable stretch as a third finger was forced into his hole.  


“Oh fuck! Steve, wait!” Danny was panting with the effort of trying to stay still.  


“Danny? You want to stop?” Steve sounded concerned, but continued to twist those fingers inside him.  


“No… a minute. Need a minute. Your mouth… Can you… please?”

Steve took Danny in again, the head first, running his tongue over the underside of the swollen cock in his mouth. Danny’s head dropped back onto his pillow and when he started to moan, Steve swallowed him down.  
It was then that Danny realized than Steve had never removed his fingers, that were now nudging at his prostate. Each time they touched him inside, he felt like he might come. He began to squirm around on the bed.

“No, not yet. Steve, no.”

This time Steve stopped and crawled up the bed to Danny’s side.  
“What’s wrong?” Steve was trying to hold him, but Danny didn’t want that.

“Your cock, babe. I was close, but I want to come with you inside me.”  
Steve dumbly stared at Danny until he started to feel uncomfortable.

“What? Too girly? It’s what I want. Please.”  


Danny pulled his partner down into a kiss which Steve quickly took control of. The next thing Danny felt was a blunt pressure against his hole.  
He bit his lip when the head popped inside. He was unprepared for the burn of it, but Steve kept going, filling him. It was so much to handle. Steve was big and Danny had never felt this full. He couldn’t imagine coming with all that inside him until he felt that same blunt pressure on his prostate. He jumped a little and grabbed a hold of Steve.

Steve pulled out a little and pushed back inside, wanting Danny to find his own rhythm. Danny just felt too stretched at the moment to enjoy what was happening to him, but that nudge to his sweet spot was like an itch and soon he was meeting Steve’s thrusts.

“Steve, more… I need more, please.” Danny could feel something starting to happen, but it seemed just beyond his reach. He wanted more contact, but their position didn’t allow it.

“Danny, can I?” Steve’s voice was strained and he struggled to keep himself under control. 

“Please, Steve… harder.” Danny was sounding desperate.

Steve let out a low groan as he finally gave in and started fucking Danny. An embarrassing little yelp escaped from Danny as Steve bottomed out in his ass. That huge cock was touching him everywhere inside and he could feel it dragging heavily over his prostate. It made his toes curl. He had no idea that it could be like this, that Steve could make him feel this way. His orgasm was building and his entire body froze as he was finally going to come with Steve in him.

END CHAPTER 6


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve learns more about Danny's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the feedback everyone. I've used some of the facts from the show and altered them a little to fit the story. Enjoy!

Danny felt like he was falling, like the many times he had followed his partner into the craziest situations. Steve was shaking with the effort of holding himself up above Danny. He was looking down at Danny, helplessly unable to stop thrusting into him.  
He was chasing his own release. Danny’s body was hypersensitive after a mindblowing orgasm and he wanted to go to sleep. He realized how selfish that seemed as Steve was still hard inside him. The thought helped his mind clear a little and he was amazed at how they had gotten here. It was Steve’s cock inside him, huge, hard, throbbing and alive.

“Danny are you okay?” Steve was breathless, but Danny could hear the concern.

“Babe, you didn’t come. This doesn’t work unless we both enjoy it.” Danny clenched around Steve’s cock, making them both gasp.

“Danny, oh god!” Steve’s hips snapped forward and slammed hard into Danny.

Danny wanted this to be good for Steve and he briefly wondered about what that meant. He cared. He more than cared. He wrapped his legs around Steve’s waist and did his best to meet his lover’s thrusts. Incredibly this forced Steve’s cock deeper into him, pushing Steve over the edge.  
Steve collapsed over Danny, exhausted and trembling. He looked more vulnerable than Danny had ever seen him as he gingerly pulled out of him. He rolled to the side, throwing an arm over his eyes and the other around Danny, who had curled into his side, despite the heat in the bedroom.

The two men didn’t speak for a few minutes and lay, holding each other for a while. It was Danny who broke the silence.

“That was not what I expected.”

Steve peered at him from beneath his forearm looking worried.

“You hated it?”

“It felt strange at first, uncomfortable, and then it started feeling good, but then it was over. Maybe we should do it again.”

Steve was frowning at Danny, but Danny’s admission had them both laughing. The two men went to sleep tangled up together. They surfaced hours later, just before dawn. Danny was comfortable with Steve wrapped around him like a blanket. Steve woke up the moment Danny moved.

“Danny, you okay?”

“Shhh babe. Go back to sleep.”

“I’m really happy.” The words were spoken through a yawn.

“Any regrets?”

“No way. Just…”

Steve didn’t finish what he was saying and Danny didn’t want to push. He had had great sex and he was still trying to get his head around the fact that it was with a man, with Steve. He wanted to tell someone and share how good he felt. 

He wanted to talk to Rachel.

As much as the SEAL loved rising early to go swimming, that particular morning, Danny had to bribe him to get him out of bed. Later as they sat eating breakfast in bed, another surprise, Danny spoke out about a half formed idea.

 

“Do you want to meet Rachel? You were never really introduced to her.”

 

Steve stopped shoveling cereal into his mouth. He was looking over at Danny, but for the moment was saying nothing. Danny continued.

“You’d like her. You will like Grace too. She’s a really special little girl.”

 

“Do you want to go back to New Jersey?” Steve was sounding less than confident.

 

“I was thinking about inviting her here. Besides, it’s where I live now and it’d be a nice break for my two girls.”

Danny looked very pleased with himself for having come up with such a brilliant plan. Steve found that he was irritated with the fact that Danny had called Rachel and Grace his girls. He irrationally wanted to be the only person who had a special place in Danny’s heart. He was ashamed for thinking it, but it was how he felt.

 

Danny set about calling Rachel to make arrangements for their visit. Steve caught himself snapping at Danny a few times. Danny noticed this, but put it down to stress as the leads they were following up all led nowhere in their arms deal case.

Steve wasn’t able to keep his hands off Danny, much to Kono’s amusement. Chin was curious, but kept a respectful distance, but failed to encourage his cousin to do the same.

Steve mostly kept to being professional around their headquarters, but some days he found he couldn’t stop staring after Danny as he left a room. One such afternoon as Danny was poring over information on the computer table, he found Steve pressed up against his back. He tried to turn, but was firmly wedged in between Steve and the edge of the table. Steve leaned down over him, placing his hands over Danny’s.

 

“Steve, what are you doing. Our colleagues are here!”

 

“I can’t stop thinking about that great ass of yours and how you opened for me. Do you know what you sound like when you’re getting fucked? I want you.”

 

Danny was growing hard at the words whispered into his ear, feeling Steve’s erection against his ass. He snapped out of his lust induced haze as a door shut somewhere in the building and somehow found the strength to turn around and push his partner away.

 

Steve looked dangerous and they were both breathing hard when Kono breezed past. The two men ignored her.

 

“Get a room you two!” she called over as she went into her office, laughing as she shut the door.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

One afternoon, the following month Danny, excitedly announced that he was leaving work early to pick Rachel up at the airport. Steve decided to work late in a bid to put off the inevitable meeting. He was a little embarrassed as he had been quite rude to Rachel the last time he saw her. He had taken her best friend away from her and wondered what type of reception he’d get.

 

That evening Steve drove home slowly for the very first time, knowing that Rachel and Danny would be there when he walked in. On being introduced, she merely smiled at him, a genuine smile and he immediately liked her.

There was no awkwardness and Steve felt at ease when Danny drove her to her hotel later that night. He had invited her over the next day as he wanted to meet Grace, who had remained at the hotel with a babysitter.

 

The next day was a flurry of activity as Danny rose uncharacteristically early to visit Rachel and Grace. They were away for most of the morning, giving Steve the opportunity to put Danny’s friendship with this woman in perspective.

The afternoon was spent on Steve’s beach. Steve was sitting a little way away, watching Danny playing in the water with Grace. He wondered if Danny had ever wanted to be a father. Rachel stretched and sighed next to him, smiling from beneath a wide brimmed straw hat.

“You should have one.”

“Excuse me?” 

“A baby. You should have one with Danny. He is great with kids. He loves Grace and I think the two of you would be great parents.”

Steve was astonished by Rachel’s perceptiveness, but it seemed she could sense what he was thinking. Danny obviously loved Grace and he made a decision to talk to Danny about having children at a later stage. It had never occurred to him to ask and he didn’t know whether Danny would want to go through a pregnancy.

“So he told you? I haven’t really considered the idea of kids. It’s something that is in the future, I guess, but this is all new for him and he would need to adjust to his changed situation. Maybe it’s not the right time.”

Rachel’s reply was drowned out by splashing and shouting. With much noise and laughter Danny and Grace emerged from the water and came running across the beach. They sat down on a towel next to Steve.

Danny looked carefree, light and happier than Steve had ever seen him. Perhaps Rachel’s idea wasn’t the worst one. He wanted to see more of this Danny. 

They all ate dinner together and Rachel told Steve stories about her and Danny’s shared past, mostly he thought to put his mind at ease. They spent two weeks on the islands, but Steve didn’t have a further opportunity to talk to Rachel about Danny. She invited him out to lunch on a day when Danny had taken Grace to swim with the dolphins.

“It was quite the surprise to learn that he was gay. It didn’t sound like my Daniel, but when I met you, it all became clear. I don’t think either of you are gay. You are in love, that’s all. We don’t know who we’ll fall in love with. You are both so lucky that you’ve found each other. Take good care of him. He is the sweetest person with the biggest heart. He hides it all under that scrappy personality, but something tells me you already know that.”

Steve decided that Rachel was never any threat, in fact, she was the opposite and the only person who was as protective of Danny as he was himself.

Two weeks later as they were watching Rachel’s airplane take off, Steve decided it was time to get to know more about his lover.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

“So, do you like her?”  
Danny had his feet propped up on Steve’s lap as they sat at the front of the house that evening. Danny’s question was nonchalant, but Steve could see that Danny was hoping for his approval.  
“She’s great and I can see why you value her friendship. You’re really good with Grace. Have you ever wished…”

“No. Yeah, she’s a fantastic kid, but she’s Rachel’s. I’ve never been in a stable enough relationship to even get to that stage.”

“And now?”

“Are you asking?”

“I saw a different side to you. I… liked it.”

“Yeah?” Danny looked shyly over at Steve.

“Grace called you Danno. How did that come about?”

“When she was really young, she couldn’t say Daniel. It sounded like Danno, so my friends started using it as a nickname and it stuck.” Danny couldn’t contain the grin that spread across his face. Steve decided he liked that look and wanted to see more of it.

“Danny have you given any thought to having a baby?”

 

END CHAPTER 7


	8. Chapter  8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is injured and Danny is plagued by bad dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has given feedback and kudos. I hope that this story has been interesting so far.

Danny was still chuckling happily, when he noticed that Steve was no longer smiling. His smile vanished as well when he realized what his partner was actually asking him.  
“Do you mean you want to have kids?”  
Danny moved back, about to remove his feet from Steve’s lap, when the other man grabbed for his ankles, holding Danny’s feet firmly in place. 

“I’d like to have children, someday, I guess, but do you? Since you found out you could get pregnant, have you thought about it at all?”

Danny sat back, relaxed once more. He looked thoughtful and was quiet for long moments before he spoke again.  
“It never occurred to me. I was so angry with my parents and then I wanted to just get past feeling unsettled. It’s a major decision, but yeah, I think I might want to have a baby at some stage. What are you really asking me, babe? Do you want to have a baby with me? Are we even ready for that?” 

It was Steve’s turn to look unsure. He wasn’t expecting all the questions or that it would turn out to be this complex an issue.  
“I am asking, yes, but I think you’re right. We haven’t been together that long. I get it, but I hope you know that I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m flattered that you’d want to have a kid with me, but let’s give ourselves a little bit of time, okay? I want to see where we’re headed first. I want some time with just the two of us. Our task force is new and I’m really liking the job. I have a new boyfriend and that is taking some getting used to as well. If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be in a relationship with a guy and talking about getting pregnant, I’d have laughed at them. This is a lot for both of us so let’s take some time for ourselves first?”

Danny’s reasoning made a lot of sense to Steve and he was satisfied with the knowledge that they would have another opportunity to work out the finer points of their situation.

 

Danny was nodding as though mentally checking off all the reasons to not start a family right away. When he looked up at Steve, he couldn’t contain his smile. It was an important discussion and they were heading in the same direction. Steve was relieved that it had gone as well as it did. Danny was at least receptive to the idea. They hadn’t known each other that long and yet they were talking about having children. Steve was never good at naming his emotions, but the ones he felt at that very moment was happiness and if he were honest, love.

 

Little did they know that fate has ways of asserting itself and having its way, no matter how well we plan.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny was upset.

Steve had agreed to go to North Korea to help a friend. Danny hadn’t wanted him to go, unable to shake his apprehension. Steve and a small team were at headquarters preparing for their mission when he saw Danny hovering near his office door.  
“Come and kiss me before I go.” Steve pulled him into his office, holding him close and not caring who saw them. When he tried to pull out of the hug, Danny didn’t want to let go.

“Hey, what’s wrong? You okay?”

Steve ducked his head to look Danny in the eye, but Danny self consciously looked away as his emotions betrayed him. Stroking his hair, Steve brought Danny close again, bringing their mouths together, seeking out Danny’s tongue with his own. Steve could sense his lover’s somber mood as Danny opened his mouth under his and the kiss deepened. 

The entire world vanished and to Danny all that remained, and all that mattered was the man who held him, Steve’s tongue inside his mouth, trying to get deeper inside him.

Reluctantly Steve broke away from Danny.

“Jesus, Danno, if we don’t stop now, I might stay and fuck you on my desk!”

Steve breathlessly laughed at his own joke, trying to make light of the situation, but on noticing that Danny wasn’t even smiling, he stopped.

“I don’t want you to go. I can’t shake this horrible feeling. And those dreams are back. Please don’t go.”

“You know I can’t do that. I want nothing more than to stay, but I would be letting a friend down. I have you to come back to so I’ll make sure that I do.”

Their conversation was interrupted by a member of Steve’s team.

“Danno, I have to go, but we’ll talk more when I get back.”

Steve left a forlorn looking Danny in his office as he went to join the other three members of his SEAL team.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Steve would never leave a friend in the lurch and as the mission was a trap, he had encountered difficulties almost from the start.

He was taken hostage by the very man that they had been hunting. 

Danny was beside himself. 

Wo Fat hadn’t wanted a ransom and Danny was deeply concerned about what that meant. There was so much that Steve kept from him and in the end, the team had gone on a daring rescue mission. That was where they now found themselves, in the wilds, carefully approaching a truck that they believed was transporting Steve.  
With shaking hands he walked towards the back of the truck, not knowing what he’d find. As he peered inside, he saw that Steve was there, injured, blinking at him in the sudden brightness. He was okay.  
Everyone was beyond relieved to have their friend back, alive and safe. Danny struggled but managed to keep his emotions under control on the flight home. Steve was kept overnight at the hospital, so Danny insisted on staying with the SEAL.  
When they finally arrived at the house, he helped Steve into the shower and carefully cleaned his body, touching every bruise. Steve was strangely quiet through it all. The moment Steve was in bed and asleep, Danny broke down.

He sat down on the bathroom floor and cried.

Steve’s injuries healed, but Danny’s emotional scars were still all too visible. Steve had become the most important person in his life and nearly losing him brought back the same feeling of frantic fear that he had experienced in his dreams.

Steve’s recovery was faster than expected and as he returned to health, he found he was missing Danny. The tiny blond seemed very far away, even though they lived together. It was early one morning and as Steve was lying in bed, watching Danny get ready for work, he realized that he hadn’t seen much more than an exposed arm in weeks. The man was busy at his closet, looking through rows of shirts, humming away to himself. 

Steve was instantly hard at the sight of golden skin as Danny’s shirt rode up. He reached further into the closet, giving Steve a good view of his firm ass. The SEAL wanted to touch, but wasn’t sure how his lover would react. This made him sad.

Several weeks had gone by since Steve’s return and Danny had grown increasingly distant. At first Steve didn’t notice that they were hardly intimate anymore. Danny always made the excuse that Steve was still healing, but by the time Steve realized what was happening it felt as though a huge chasm had opened between them.

Danny had taken to jerking off in the shower after Steve had gone to sleep at night, but the SEAL wanted to talk to him about his behavior so he waited up one night when Danny went for his shower. Danny was in the bathroom for a long time, but when Steve heard what sounded like a sob, he made a decision.

He only felt a moment’s guilt as he opened the bathroom door and stepped inside. Danny was in the shower, his back turned. Steve watched him for a moment. Danny had one hand braced against the wall, the other moving slowly over his shaft. He was trembling and when Steve went closer, he realized the other man was crying, heaving sobs wracking his body.  
Steve stepped under the spray, startling Danny. The smaller man lurched forward. He stopped Danny from hitting his forehead on the tiles by pulling him back against him. Danny resisted, but Steve wouldn’t let him go.  
“Steve, no! What are you doing?”

He broke free and whirled round, but Steve was right there, pushing him back against the tiles.

“Danny, don’t fight me. I've left things unsaid for too long. You’re slipping away and you are too important. I'm so sorry. I don’t like seeing you this unhappy. I love you.”

Danny was unprepared for such complete honesty. Any protests he had in mind flew right out of his head. Crowding him into the corner, Steve leaned in and kissed him. Danny relaxed into the kiss for a moment. He had missed Steve and wanted to be with him, but nearly losing him was a frightening experience. He didn’t know how to verbalize what he felt.

That familiar fear was creeping up on him again and he began to push at Steve.

 

“What’s wrong Danny? Please talk to me.”

 

“I nearly lost you. Do you have any idea how that feels? When I saw what that sonofabitch did to you, I wanted to kill him myself. You acted as if this was nothing out of the ordinary. I’m in love with you and after I admitted that to myself, you nearly get killed. It's all too much! I don’t think I can do this.” 

“Danno, I’m here. I won’t ever willingly leave you. I’ve missed you and I want you so much. I want to be inside you. Will you let me make love to you?”

Another sob escaped from Danny’s throat as he pulled Steve into a hug and when they parted, Steve went to his knees, taking Danny’s erection into his mouth. Steve wasn’t going to take it slow. He gripped Danny’s ass, swallowing him down. The sensation left Danny gasping and unable to stop thrusting. He had a painful hold on Steve’s hair. Steve was a little rough as he pulled almost all the way off, lightly lapping at Danny’s cock head. Suddenly Steve’s mouth was gone, leaving Danny frustrated.

“Why’d you stop?”

“Patience Danny.” 

Steve was pushing at Danny’s hips, turning him around to face the tiles. Steve parted his cheeks and without warning, Danny felt Steve’s tongue moving over and then into his hole.

“Steve! Oh fuck!”  
The feeling had him moving up onto his toes and his cock grew incredibly harder as Steve’s tongue pushed further into him, opening him up. Steve pushed in a thumb where his tongue had been and then pushed in the other, holding Danny open.

“Relax Danny.”

Danny’s ass felt stretched as Steve’s tongue plunged back in, licking at his insides.  
His orgasm was just out of reach and he made a frustrated noise as Steve suddenly moved away from his ass and dragged him from under the spray and into their bedroom.

“You’re going to ride my cock, baby. I want to look at you when you come.”

Steve had climbed on the bed, moving further up. He reached into the nightstand for their lube, hungrily looking at his partner. He pulled Danny down beside him and as he kissed him, slid a lubed finger into his hole. Danny was already so turned on that he arched up off the bed as Steve took a nipple into his mouth. He continued to finger fuck Danny who’s cock was leaking copiously.

“Steve, please, I need to come. Just fuck me already.”

Steve didn’t feel that Danny was ready, but Danny took the lube from him and began to slick up his lover’s cock. Steve passively allowed this and when Danny dropped the lube, Steve pulled him down onto his hard shaft. Danny was underprepared, and the stretch was more then he could comfortably handle. He closed his eyes against the burn. He wanted it this way, wanted to feel Steve, to be sure that he was fine and there with him.  
Straddling Steve’s body, Danny interlaced their fingers, holding Steve’s hands down next to his head. Steve’s cock had gone quite deep, but Danny liked the feeling of being impaled on his shaft. When he leaned forward that cock pressed against his prostate, making him gasp. He easily found his rhythm, rolling his hips as he started to move. Steve took hold of Danny’s cock, his slick hand moving up his shaft, twisting and squeezing around the head. Danny could feel heat building as the cock inside him nudged at his prostate.  
He had been on the edge for so long.

“Babe, I’m close.”

Steve was looking up at him, trying to get deeper into Danny’s body. The hand on Danny’s shaft was speeding up and Danny stopped moving, as he rode towards his peak.

The moment the first wave hit Danny, Steve tipped him backwards and started fucking him through his orgasm. 

“You’ll be feeling me for days. Is that what you want Danno?”

Danny couldn’t answer. He was in an orgasmic haze, but as Steve thrust up into him, making direct contact with his prostate, he cried out. Steve was unable to stop and slammed hard into Danny as his cock continued to spurt white hot come between them.

“Oh my god, Steve! Oh fuck!”

Danny’s ass was contracting around Steve’s shaft, forcing his orgasm out of him. He clung to Danny as he spilled deep inside him.

Not wanting to lose contact, Steve stayed inside his lover until his cock softened. Danny felt wrung out and limp after an intense orgasm. He was only vaguely aware of Steve cleaning him up and sliding into bed behind him. Steve ran careful fingers over Danny’s hole. The feeling made him squirm, but he was too tired to complain.

“Did I hurt you?”

“I’m fine. You fucked me pretty hard, but I wanted it that way.”

Steve made a contented noise behind him. Danny felt drowsy. He was happy and felt safe as he went to sleep in his lover’s arms.

 

END CHAPTER 8


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny receive some news and share some of their concerns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone! You've all been amazing, leaving comments and kudos. Enjoy!

Steve woke up late the next morning. Danny was sound asleep at his side so Steve decided to just watch him for a while. He was so rarely still and he somehow looked very young. His usually slicked down hair was a mess and Steve wondered what Danny would say if he could see it.

“Are you watching me, you pervert?”

Danny was smiling as he stretched, his eyes still closed against the morning light. Steve rolled towards Danny covering him with his body. He was smiling now too, nuzzling Danny’s neck.

“Can’t help myself. You not only look good enough to eat, you smell great too.”

Danny was secretly pleased, happy to have this man’s love and attention, his previous fear all but gone. Steve’s morning erection was politely nudging at him, leaving a wet trail against his skin. The SEAL smiled dreamily up at Danny, absently humping his thigh.

“I love you Steve. I’m so glad to have you back.”

Danny realized although Steve had been back for weeks, they had been so distant that it felt as though he had only now come home.

“I missed you.”

“We have an entire weekend and we won’t be leaving this bed unless we absolutely have to.”  


The morning was spent lazing in bed. By late afternoon the two men were fooling around on Steve’s beach. They were rolling around and getting sand in unspeakable places when Steve became suddenly serious.

“You could be pregnant.”

“Okay, that was random.”

Danny sat up, frowning at his partner. He wondered if this had been on Steve’s mind the entire time. An unreasonable niggling worry surfaced in his mind. He slowly got up and went closer to the water’s edge, looking out at the horizon.

“I just want you to know that it isn’t a bad thing if you are. It’ll just mean we start a family a little sooner.”

Danny though not too sure about going through a pregnancy, felt relieved that he wouldn’t be alone. He laughed suddenly, splashing water at Steve as he took off down the beach with Steve following close behind. Danny was fast. Steve caught up with him, though and as he grabbed for him, he unbalanced them both, causing them to tumble into the shallow water.

Steve didn’t let go of Danny who happily sat in the water, shaking his head.

“It’s a little disconcerting how well you’re dealing with all this, babe.”

“I’m happy Danno. Whatever happens from here, I am getting what I want, what I need. Whether it’s just the two of us or whether we have a baby, it’s a win win situation. I’m in love and everything is right with the world.”  
The SEAL shook his head, smiling as if getting what he wanted was the most incredible thing.

“How would you feel about getting pregnant?”

“It’s a bit soon, but if it’s already happened then we’d just have to do the best we can.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Danny’s newfound happiness was premature as Steve’s behavior changed once they were back at work. He suddenly had so much paperwork that he had to remain behind while the rest of the team canvassed some of the city’s most notorious neighborhoods for information in their latest people trafficking case.  
Steve had assured Danny that he would be able to go into the field soon, but that paperwork was important too. He pointed out how good Danny was at writing reports and casting the team in the best possible light. The smaller man had felt flattered at having at least some of his skills recognized, until one day he realized that he hadn’t accompanied Steve anywhere for a long time, other than the commute to and from work.  
A raid had been planned for the following morning, so Danny worked late to make sure that all his reports were up to date. The new day dawned sunny and bright as usual, with only Danny’s mood to rival it.  
It was when he was getting ready with the rest of the team that Steve pulled him aside.

“Danno, what do you think you’re doing?”

“Did you really want an answer to that?”

Danny was for the moment not looking at his partner as he zipped up his bag.

When Steve said nothing, Danny chanced a glance at the SEAL. Steve had raised both eyebrows in enquiry and it dawned on Danny that his lover had no intention of allowing him to go along. Danny had always hated unfairness and he felt that he was being treated differently. He naturally reacted in anger.

“This is such bullshit! So all of the pats on the back and telling me what a good job I was doing was just to keep me here! All that paperwork! That was you, wasn’t it?! Did you make me do everyone’s extra paperwork? What’s wrong with you?”

Danny’s raised voice had drawn concerned stares from the cousins. 

“You could be pregnant! I’m not putting you in harm’s way until I know for sure that you are not!” Steve’s voice was a furious whisper.

“That’s not fair and why couldn’t you just tell me all this from the start?”

“You get pissed off so easily. Hell, you’re angry right now. You really left me no choice.”

“Yeah well, I’m going with you.”

With that Danny grabbed his gear and went off after his team mates, leaving Steve fuming in his office.

 

The raid was an interesting experience, with Steve mostly shielding Danny from any situations that he deemed dangerous. He did his best to keep Danny behind him which aroused Kono’s curiosity.

“What’s with you and the boss? You two fighting?”

“Not exactly. He’s just being overprotective. He does it with everyone. Thinks he’s invincible.”

“I think he’s genuinely worried about you Danny. I think maybe you should talk to him?”  
Deep down Danny knew that Kono was right, but he didn’t want to think about what being pregnant would mean for his work situation and his place on the team.

Steve carefully avoided Danny for the rest of the day. It helped Danny calm down and on the way to the parking garage that evening, Steve handed Danny his car keys. He looked wary and Danny began to feel sorry for him.

“You can relax, babe. I’m over being upset. I kind of get where you’re coming from, but I didn’t like being manipulated. I feel really stupid now and you’re being overprotective.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself. I’m not intentionally being difficult. I need to take care of you and I can’t have you getting hurt. I’d never forgive myself.”

“Okay, so it looks as if we’ve reached an impasse.”

“No we haven’t. I’ve made a doctor’s appointment for you, day after tomorrow.”

Danny was left speechless, but he had to admire the fact that the SEAL was proactive. His niggling worries came back in such a rush, his stomach did a nervous little flutter in anticipation of a doctor’s visit. On the drive home Steve was strangely quiet and as Danny tried to tell himself that what would happen in a couple of days didn’t matter, he knew that this wasn’t true. If he were pregnant his entire life would change.

Steve noticed the oddest behavior in Danny the next day. The team was trapped behind a police cruiser and Steve was furious at his partner.

“What were you thinking Daniel?! We don’t insult psychotic criminals with automatic firearms and enough explosives to obliterate a city block.”

Danny gave Steve a sour look. He had woken up in a bad mood, skittering from one disaster to the next. As his day got steadily worse, so did his mood and in the end, he had lost his patience when their suspects wouldn’t surrender. 

“So it’s only okay for you to do it? Those morons were being tiresome. I wasn’t in the mood to wait for them to eventually comply. Besides, I was getting hungry.”

After a sharp nudge to the ribs from Chin, Danny went quiet, knowing better than to come back with more clever remarks.

His apology was drowned out by gunfire and the arrival of an HPD SWAT team. Once their suspects had been apprehended, Danny looked around and only just managed to see Steve walk off towards a police cruiser. Danny rushed after him.

“I’m sorry for being an ass, babe. I’m a little stressed about tomorrow.”

Steve was still angry, but his expression softened when he saw that Danny was holding the keys out to him. It was a gesture like the one he made the day before, a peace offering.

“Okay, let’s first get through the next couple of days and we’ll talk after we get the results from your test.”

 

The next morning Danny woke up tired and only barely remembered that he had dreamt about Steve. Though he knew that Steve wouldn’t leave him, he felt like he had already lost him. That irrational sense of loss plagued him the entire morning and he was quite irritated by the time Steve drove him to his appointment.

“Will you please snap out of that mood you’re in. We might get some great news today.”

“I’m not in a ‘mood’. I just didn’t sleep well. I’d feel less exhausted if you’d let me have some coffee – and not the decaf stuff. That’s just not the same.”

“Let’s get the doc’s visit out of the way, okay? What can I do to make things better for you?”

“Just… I’m scared okay? I don’t like looking weak, but this is all new and I’m really nervous. If I’m pregnant then everything will be different.”

“We’re in this together – all the way.”

Steve smiled as he lightly squeezed Danny’s thigh. Somehow the small gesture helped Danny feel more secure, but he was still apprehensive.

The doctor’s visit was not as bad as Danny had envisioned. Steve was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father. He hugged a stunned Danny who wondered if this was what Steve was hoping for all along.  
He learned much about the changes his body would go through, and he found the more he knew, the less afraid he felt. Steve was surprisingly eager. He asked questions and made notes, which made the doctor smile. 

Both men felt more confident about their situation afterwards, but that evening Danny was very quiet, so Steve decided to surprise him with his favorite Italian dinner and dessert. They curled up on the couch afterwards and went to bed early. Steve was sitting up in bed waiting for Danny when he emerged from the bathroom.

“How are you feeling?”

“Ask me that in the morning. I’m still in a state of shock. I don’t feel any different, but I guess that’s not going to be the case for long.”

-o-o-o-o-o-

Steve was comfortable. The late morning sun was streaming in through the open window and Danny was stirring next to him. Waking up next to Danny was always a pleasant experience. He liked to cuddle and Steve learned to like it too. A half awake Danny was clingy and sweet and Steve wondered how he had gotten this lucky.

“Aren’t we going to work today?” 

Danny was practically purring as he curled into Steve’s side.

“No, baby. I want you all to myself today. I don’t feel like doing anything. Do you have any objections to lazing around and then going to dinner tonight?”

“Steve, we’re pregnant. That’s amazing, but how will this affect my work on the team? In fact, at some stage we have to tell Chin and Kono.”

“Let’s not worry about our colleagues yet. I’m not sure how this will affect the team. We could carry on like before, but let’s look at a few changes, okay? Think about it and we can talk a little later.”

Steve was silently concerned about Danny’s safety out in the field. He didn’t want him in any situations that could put himself or their baby in jeopardy. He suddenly felt very protective of the small blond and hoped that they would be able to agree that they would both need to make some changes.

 

END CHAPTER 9


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny sees Steve with a lady friend and ends up in hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has followed this story, left kudos and comments. I hope you like the latest chapter.

Steve and Danny decided to tell their team mates about their relationship over dinner at what had become a favorite haunt. Their table was right near the beachfront where torches cast long shadows over the sand. Danny had been a nervous wreck for most of the afternoon and had taken ages to get ready. He didn’t look any different to Steve, but at the moment Steve couldn’t help but stare. His skin was practically glowing and he looked relaxed.

Neither Kono nor Chin seemed particularly surprised that they were involved and immediately congratulated them. Chin excused himself to go to the bar for a bottle of champagne. Danny followed to get water.  
He was waiting at the bar with his glass of sparkling water, when Steve joined him. Chin, at the far end of the bar, motioned for them to join them back at the table. Steve acknowledged him with a nod, but he was for the moment concerned about Danny.

“You okay?”

“I’m perfectly fine. If I were in Jersey, I’d be having a drink to take the edge off my nervousness, so I guess I’m making myself miserable over all the beers I can’t have. Also, Chin’s just ordered bubbly, so how suspect will it look when I decline?”  
Steve thought of all that Danny had been through and in a short space of time, both their lives had changed, hopefully for the better. He had a family to think of now and he wanted to do things right. Despite everything, Danny still managed to drive him crazy with want at the most inappropriate times. At the moment, something about Danny was ever so slightly different and it left him feeling out of control and… 

…rock hard.

Steve stood closer and placed his hands lightly on Danny’s hips, bringing his mouth to Danny’s ear.  
“You look so completely fuckable tonight. Those tight shirts you like so much and those pants? They leave no doubt as to what’s underneath. Do you have any idea how tempting you are? I can’t stop thinking of how hot you are inside, gripping my cock… moaning, oh my god… pulling me in. Fuck, Danno!”

“Steve! Stop, please.” Danny’s voice was a choked off whisper. His face felt hot and he felt the familiar tightness of his pants. 

“You’ll definitely be saying that later after I’ve made you come several times. I can’t wait to get you home, baby.” Steve stepped away from Danny, but his look was one of pure lust.  
The very next moment, Steve favored Danny with the goofiest smile ever and dragged him towards their table. Danny laughed despite himself. Chin had already filled their glasses as they sat down.

Danny helplessly looked over at his partner. It was too early to tell the others about his pregnancy, but before Danny could refuse the offer of a drink, Chin showed him the bottle.  
“It’s non alcoholic, brah. We’re all driving so I thought it was best.” There was no mistaking the wink in Steve and Danny’s direction as they all raised their glasses.

Danny was mostly relieved that he didn’t have to tell an outright lie. Their colleagues seemed to know and didn’t find it out of the ordinary that he were pregnant.  
Steve leaned across to kiss Danny’s temple. He turned towards his partner turning a little peck into a full lip lock.

“Gross! Guys, get a room!” Kono was laughing as she made gagging noises. 

Danny fully expected to be quizzed by Kono, but she begged off early to go on a date with a new boyfriend that she was very secretive about. Chin went home soon after his cousin, leaving Steve and Danny by themselves.

“That was almost too easy.” Steve had shifted his chair closer to his lover’s to drape an arm around his shoulders.

Danny rested his head against Steve’s as he looked longingly over at the half finished bottle of champagne.  
“It’s going to be a long eight months.”

“I think Chin and Kono know something, Danno.”

Danny turned his chair to face his partner.

“You noticed that too? The champagne proves they do. They were great about it, though. It gives us the time we need to work through all this.” 

Soon the conversation turned to other matters. Kono who had always been forthcoming about who she dated was seeing someone new. She hadn’t shared who it was with her cousin which Steve and Danny found out of character.  
“Who is the mystery guy Kono’s seeing? It’s not like her to be so secretive.”

“I’ve already asked Chin and even he doesn’t know.”

“Well, he’s either really old and rich or he’s a convict.”

When Steve frowned, Danny knew that he was taking what he had said seriously.  
“I’m going to find out who this guy is, Danno. You might just be on the right track. For now, let’s keep this between us.”

 

It was a few weeks later when Steve was on his way to a crime scene that Danny joined him outside. 

“Where are you going, Danno?”

“We have a case.”

“Yes we do, but you have to stay here, okay?”

Danny was bored with being at HQ all day and desperately wanted a change of environment. Steve felt bad for him, but was annoyed with himself for not having had this conversation with Danny sooner. He stopped and took hold of his lover’s hand.  
“Crime scenes can be dangerous. Our streets seem to breed worse criminals each year. I know you can take care of yourself, but you’re carrying our child and I don’t want you out there. I don’t want you and the baby exposed to that. What kind of man would I be if I did?”

All the fire went out of Danny’s attitude and he spoke softly as he dropped his gaze.

“Yeah, okay. I’m with you on this, babe, but how am I supposed to stop worrying about you out there without me to watch your back? Can you meet me halfway here? Please can you be more careful and make better decisions when it comes to taking risks? I’m no expert, but stress and worry aren’t good things when you’re pregnant. Our baby needs both its parents alive and well. Besides, I’m bored out of my mind.”

Steve moved closer to Danny and pulled him into a tight hug. They stayed like that for a little while and just as Danny was getting comfortable, Steve spoke. “I love you and I have no issues with driving a desk along with you for the duration of your pregnancy, and you’re right, stress isn’t good for you. Maybe you could do half days? We can talk about field duty again after the baby is born. Would that be okay?”

“Sure.” came the muffled reply from Steve’s chest.

Danny realized that there was much he could do to assist if he were going to be at the office for only half the day. Chin had approached Steve about Kono’s boyfriend as he was concerned about her. They so far had his photograph and they had yet to put a name to the face. Danny felt that they were violating their colleague’s right to privacy, but Chin believed they had just cause due to the people in the photograph with him.  
They had immediately been able to identify two members of the Yakuza who were in on Wo Fat’s arms deal. Chin had tried to talk to his cousin about her boyfriend, but she had carefully avoided the subject. He wasn’t sure how much she knew and hadn’t wanted to push too much which was why they had opted to not tell her about the investigation.

Danny found that lately he was more tired in the mornings and had taken to going into the office later. It was on a day that he was feeling particularly drained that he noticed a very pretty brunette in Steve’s office. He could tell by their body language that they knew each other quite well. He didn’t know much about his lover’s past and had to talk himself out of going into Steve’s office and asking her who she was. He turned away and walked towards his own office.

He moodily sat down at his desk, wanting a cup of coffee and a malasada, but nowadays the smell of coffee brought on waves of nausea and doughnuts gave him indigestion. Kono stuck her head around his door, her bright, happy smile lightening his mood. The feeling didn’t last as he wondered what she would do should she find out that they were investigating her boyfriend.

“You look a little green, brah. I got you some mint tea.” 

She regarded him head to one side from her perch on the edge of his desk. He smiled despite himself. Danny hated mint, but it always made him feel much better. He nodded his thanks and as she turned to leave, he saw Steve hugging the brunette.  
Kono followed his gaze, instinctively knowing what he was thinking.

“She’s a friend. They worked together in Naval Intelligence.”

With a wink and another smile, Kono was gone. Danny felt like a rat over what they were doing and on top of that, he was now wondering if Steve was involved with the woman that had just kissed his cheek.

“Danny, you’re late.” Steve was standing in front of his desk. He’d neither heard nor seen him enter his office.

“I’m just tired nowadays. I’m finding it harder to get out of bed in the mornings.” Danny found himself answering more honestly than he intended. He wanted to be annoyed at his partner, but it was impossible.

“Is it a normal kind of tired or is it more than that?” Steve wasn’t able to keep the concern out of his voice.

“I’m a little worried because I feel kind of rough even after I’ve had a nap. Strange as it sounds, sleeping makes me feel worse.”  
Danny looked a little deflated as he slouched in his chair. Steve continued to question him and he wondered where he was going with this. He wanted to ask Steve about his mystery woman, but he also wanted to sleep.

“How long have you been feeling like this, Danno?”

“Three weeks, give or take…”

“That long? And you didn’t think that it was important to say something?”

“You’re a fine one to talk about disclosing.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The woman… Who is she Steve?”

“Are you jealous?” Steve’s voice had risen in disbelief. 

“Come on Danny, I’m taking you home.”

Danny was fuming and felt patronized. He stubbornly ignored his lover and went back to studying the case notes on his screen. A sea of words were swimming in front of his eyes and trying to make sense of them made him feel dizzy. He stumbled as he tried to get up and managed to steady himself by gripping the side of his desk.

“That’s it. We’re going home.”

Steve moved forward to try and steady his partner. Danny accepted the strong arms that held him upright. He would make Steve talk once he felt better. He wanted to know where he stood as they were having a child together after all.

The moment the two men set foot inside the house, Steve bundled Danny upstairs and into bed. He went downstairs to get Danny some water and on his return started fluffing his lover’s pillows.

“Stop hovering around me like a satellite. I’m okay.” 

“I’ll be the judge of that. You’re a little unsteady. You’re almost into your third month and we need to be careful. If there’s a problem, finding out sooner is always better. Let’s make a doctor’s appointment for you tomorrow, okay?”

Danny was feeling rather sleepy and was only half listening to what Steve was saying. The man’s voice was soothing and he was sinking fast.  
“I’ll agree to almost anything as long as you keep talking to me. I knew I chose you for a reason. Pretty and talented with brains.” Danny’s sappy smile made Steve laugh despite his concerns over his lover’s health.

 

The next morning Danny was still asleep when Steve came out of the shower. He didn’t stir and Steve began to worry when Danny didn’t respond after a gentle nudge.

“Danno, hey, come on, wake up baby.”

Danny stirred, but his eyes didn’t open all the way before he fell back asleep. Steve tried again, but Danny wrapped himself around his pillow and continued to sleep. Steve was reminded of a previous situation when Danny had a fever. This time there was even more at stake so he took Danny down to the car without stopping to get him changed. 

Danny’s doctor met them at the hospital after Steve called him from the car. He was made to wait in the family waiting area where thought of every awful scenario and how they might deal with it. He told himself that it would prepare him for the worst, but he didn’t feel any better. For a while it looked as though everything in his life was falling into place. Did he dare hope that he could still have his family?

Danny’s doctor turned up a while later. Though Steve had many questions, he waited until the doctor had given him an update on Danny’s condition.

“We’ve done a complete blood count. Mr Williams has pregnancy induced anaemia. It’s rather unusual for it to occur this early in pregnancy, but we’ve gone ahead and started treatment. He’s resting now, though would you like to see him?”

“Is the baby okay?”

“The baby will take what it needs first, so your child is fine, but Mr Williams will have to continue with an iron rich eating plan once he is released.”

Danny was asleep when Steve entered his room. He looked much better than he had earlier that morning and even in sleep his skin appeared healthier.  
Steve felt as though they had been given a second chance. He was starting to wonder whether booking Danny off work altogether might be a good idea. Taking time off to go on vacation might be a good way to ease him into it, but how receptive his lover would be to the idea was unclear.

END CHAPTER TEN


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is released from the hospital before they take a trip to New Jersey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading so far. I have really appreciated the feedback and kudos. I hope that you will all continue along with me and this story as there is much to come. :)

Danny was released from the hospital two days later. He was still tired, but he was less sleepy. He liked the idea of a vacation, especially when he heard Steve’s idea. He hadn’t been home to New Jersey for a long time and Steve wanted to see where he came from.  
Now that he was feeling stronger, he remembered the situation of Steve and Catherine. He didn’t want to go away with his lover until they had resolved this issue.

Steve had sent him upstairs to bed the moment they arrived home. He hadn’t protested as he was still feeling tired. At least he wasn’t falling asleep constantly.  
Steve brought him his medication and as he sat down on the bed next to him, Danny raised the topic.

“Tell me about Catherine.”

Steve looked at him for a long time, as though trying to gauge Danny’s mood. He waited for his lover to finish his glass of water before he spoke.  
“She’s an old friend. We worked together for a long time.”

“Did you ever sleep with her?” Danny was watching Steve carefully for a reaction.

“I don’t see what Catherine has to do with anything. What’s going on Danny? Are you accusing me of something?”

Steve had had questions about Rachel once, but he didn’t think that Danny was involved with her. He wondered why Danny would believe he might betray his trust.

“You two looked very cozy and you didn’t even think to introduce me. That wasn’t only rude, babe, it tells me you’re not telling me everything. Do you regret starting relationship with me?”

Steve was agitated at what Danny’s words implied, but he didn’t want to upset him any further. He was obviously feeling insecure, but Steve wasn’t sure how to help him feel better about himself.

“I think we should leave this conversation until later. We’re both tired and I don’t want you stressed further.” 

Danny didn’t reply. Steve was right, but he was still feeling slighted. He moodily turned away from Steve, but the last thing he felt before drifting off was a light touch to his hair.

It was late afternoon as Steve busied himself with packing away groceries. He didn’t want to leave Danny alone, but they had needed supplies, so he made a quick trip and brought back something other than pineapples. He was curious about Danny’s hometown and what type of place could have produced such a complex and unique person.  
As if on cue, Danny ambled in and tried to hoist himself onto the kitchen counter. He didn’t quite succeed. Steve rushed over to help him and when he didn’t resist, he took this as a good sign. Swiping a freshly washed strawberry from a bowl, he smiled a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.  


“Are you talking to me again?” Steve’s tone was neutral. He instinctively stepped closer, kissing Danny’s cheek.

“I never stopped talking to you. It’s just that my words weren’t all that kind.” Danny was no longer smiling.

Suddenly Steve seemed very far away. Danny didn’t like when he closed himself off like that so he reached out to interlock their fingers, bringing Steve’s hand to his lips.

With his free hand Steve pulled him into a hug. “Are we okay?”

“I think we’re more than that. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling a little unsettled after seeing you with Catherine.”

“Cath and I had a thing once. For a long time we were on again, off again. I love you. I told her so and she’s seeing someone as well, so it’s all good. I want you to meet her, but the other day wasn’t the right time. She had to rush off and I wanted to talk to you about her first.”

Danny nodded his understanding. He had nothing to be worried about where Catherine was concerned. He had another issue looming overhead. He hadn’t told his parents about his pregnancy yet and he was worried about their reaction. 

Steve asked Rachel to call Danny and somehow he felt better after the call. Steve found him in the living room looking at brochures that he had left on the couch. 

“That was your doing, wasn’t it? It was very sweet of you to get Rachel to call me. My dad is pretty old school and I know he’s going to freak out when he finds out I’m pregnant. My mom as usual will try and keep things even and my sisters are going to have a lot of questions. I don’t know if I have the energy for all that. My family makes me feel like I’m twelve years old. How long did you want to hang around Jersey?”

Danny didn’t seem particularly eager to go home, but Steve felt it was something that had to be done. He had taken Danny away from his home, family and friends. Though he complained, Steve felt it was more as a game they played. Danny adapted well to his new environment, but he still needed his family’s love and support. Steve wanted him to have the benefit of both. 

“Would a couple of days be okay? Will that give you enough time with your family? I didn’t want us to spend all of our time with them. I hope you don’t mind, but I want you all to myself. I booked a hotel for us in a pretty little town in upstate New York.”  
Steve felt better about their vacation plans and now only had to think of a way to gently suggest booking Danny off work.

“I can’t actually believe I’m saying this, but I don’t want to spend all my time with my folks either. I’m looking forward to some downtime with you. I can imagine things being a little awkward after I tell my dad. A short visit is probably best.”  
Danny settled a protective hand over his belly and gave Steve a humorless smile.

As with most things, Steve took control of their vacation arrangements, only allowing Danny to book their activities. Steve packed their suitcases and ran all their last minute errands. He kept to his rule of keeping Danny as stress free as possible before having to deal with his parents.

“I’d like to be there when you tell your parents. I need for them to understand that we are together in this and that I support you.”

“Babe, I’m sure they get that. I think they’re going to have more trouble with getting their heads around the fact that I’m pregnant and in a relationship with my boss who happens to be a guy.”

Steve stared dumbly at his lover. Up until they met each other, both men had only dated women. Danny had summed up their situation quite nicely, even though perhaps it was oversimplified. It was a complete change for both of them and it will be even more for Danny’s family to deal with. He had to break the news to his sister as well and wondered how Mary would deal with it.

“We’ve come a long way, Danno. Eventually our families will get there too. We’ll talk to your parents together and then we’ll have a break, okay? I’m really happy and I’m actually excited about seeing a new place with you. I’ve never been to Cold Spring, but it looks like the perfect place to relax.”

Steve wanted to reconnect with Danny as they hadn’t been intimate in a while. Danny seemed less troubled and was talking animatedly now, gesturing and laughing. He was looking, and no doubt feeling better. He was looking quite appealing to Steve who dropped down on the couch next to him and tried to put a hand up under his shirt.

 

That evening as Steve waited in bed for Danny, he noticed that he was starting to show. He could see a slight rounding of his lover’s belly. Danny caught him staring. He smiled as he absently ran a hand over his growing bump.  
“I’m starting to show, aren’t I? Thought it was my imagination, but I guess very soon I won’t be able to disguise this.”

“You’re truly quite amazing Danno.” Steve held out his arms as Danny crawled up on the bed and settled beside him.  
Steve immediately moved in close to touch Danny’s belly as he spooned up behind him.

 

The week before their trip flew by and Steve and Danny didn’t have much time to go into the office. The team had no new cases and Steve felt it was the ideal time for the entire team to have a break. Kono was happy as she’d be able to take a trip with her new boyfriend, much to her cousin’s dismay. 

Danny was restless as they took off, but fatigue had him mostly sleeping through their nine hour flight. Steve woke him just as the seatbelt light came on. Bright blue eyes stared up at him and for a moment he was lost for words. Danny was so beautiful and he still couldn’t believe that he was his.

“We’re nearly there sweetheart.”

Danny nodded sleepily as he reached under his blanket for Steve’s hand. They landed soon after and thankfully managed to get through the airport quite quickly. The flight had taken its toll on Danny and Steve was glad of the fact that they had decided to book a hotel instead of staying with Danny’s parents. Danny had decided that this was one of Steve’s better ideas as they weren’t sure of anything at this stage.

Once checked into their hotel room, Danny cast himself down on the bed and went to sleep without bothering to take his shoes off. Steve helped him out of his outer layers and watched a game while Danny rested. A few hours later they drove the few miles to his family home. The front door was thrown open as they walked up the path. Clara rushed out and threw her arms around her son. Her sunny disposition was at odds with the ominous steel grey sky.

“Danny, darling! It’s so good to see you!”

“Steve, come on in!”

Clara was her usual friendly self, but when they stepped inside, her husband was quite the opposite. Steve wondered if he suspected anything as he wasn’t saying much beyond a quiet greeting.  
Danny’s sisters were very interested in who Steve was and dragged both men into the living room where they bombarded them with questions. Steve was unprepared for this which made Danny laugh. They enjoyed a family lunch and afterwards when Danny’s sisters disappeared into the kitchen, his mother pulled him aside. They were standing in the hallway, while Steve and Eddie returned to the living room with their coffees. 

“Danny, what’s going on?”

Danny shot a quick glance in the direction of the living room and on hearing nothing, decided it was a good thing.

“Are we actually going to talk about this in the hallway, mom?”

“We can go up to your old room, but either way, I’d like to know before we go in there”, she said as she pointed towards the living room.

“Okay, then we do this here.” Danny shrugged his shoulders.  
“I’m… Steve and I are in a relationship. It’s serious mom and I love him.”

Clara broke into a smile and tried to hug her son. He resisted and held her at armslength.

“Mom, wait. That’s not all. I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

Clara was left speechless. 

“Are you okay with this?”

Clara shook herself physically and managed a smile.  
“It’s a surprise, baby, but it’s a good one. A grandchild. Wow! Are you happy and are you managing okay? Pregnancy isn’t easy and I want you to let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

“Steve’s been great. He’s a good guy, mom, but I think that right now we need to go and rescue him from dad.”

Eddie wasn’t as pleased with Danny’s news as his wife had been. He found it difficult to accept that his son was in love with a man. He was curious about Danny’s pregnancy, though and was at least pleased about having another grandchild.

All of his questions were directed at Danny, but when he finally had a question for Steve, it was one that the two men hadn’t yet discussed.

“Are you going to marry my son, Commander?”

Danny froze. He looked helplessly over at Steve who looked mortified.

“Eddie, don't be difficult. Our son is a grown man. These two boys will decide what they want to do when they’re good and ready. Now stop meddling.”

Clara turned and winked at her son. 

“Pop, we haven’t really thought that far ahead. We want to concentrate on having a healthy baby so, maybe we’ll think about that after the baby is born.”

Eddie and Clara seemed satisfied with their son’s reasoning, but Steve felt ashamed for not having thought that far into the future. They had been so wrapped up in work and he hoped that Danny didn’t feel unappreciated.

When Danny began to show signs of tiredness, Steve decided to call it a night. Once Danny was buckled into their car, Clara called Steve aside.

“My Danny is pretty special. Please make sure that he knows you love him. He can be difficult sometimes and I think he gets that from his father, but he has a good heart. He loves you very much, I can tell, so please take good care of my son.”

He looked over at Eddie who nodded grumpily. He took that as a good sign. They had made some real progress with Danny’s folks and that was a gift. All he had to do now was keep his family together.  


That night as Danny wrapped himself around Steve, he tried to assure him that they would be fine.  
“I’m sorry about my dad. He had to ask about the one topic we haven’t discussed yet. There’s no pressure to think about anything beyond having a healthy baby. You’ve been amazing and I appreciate that.”

“He was doing what any caring father would. I’m sorry for not saying anything, but I wasn’t sure where you were at with regards to settling down. You’ve been through so much and it didn’t even occur to me.”

Danny tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, so Steve held him a little closer until he fell asleep.

The following day was a quick stop at Danny’s family home and then they were off to their break in the neighboring state.

Danny wanted to drive the first few miles, but Steve insisted on taking over soon after. Danny pointed out landmarks along the way until he dozed off. Steve stopped and woke Danny when they reached their destination.

Finally they were able to just relax with no distractions. Once checked into their hotel, Steve joined Danny for the decadence of an afternoon nap. He thought of how perfect the town would be as a honeymoon getaway. He filed it away as one more thing he wanted to discuss with his lover.

Danny had a surprise for Steve the next morning. Aside from the fact that he had energy in spades, he dragged a tired Steve out of bed, excitedly announcing that they were going on a river boat ride on the Hudson.

 

“But Danno, you don’t even like going out on the water.” It was much later that morning and Steve was leaning against the safety railing of the river boat, teasing his partner.

“That isn’t true, babe. Back home there is warm, shark infested waters. This here is safe, cold water, no sharks, see?” He gestured towards the river, childlike in his enthusiasm.

“Danno, you called Oahu home. Does that mean that you’re finally settled?” Steve sounded hopeful.

“It was home the moment I admitted that I was in love with you, babe.”

 

END CHAPTER ELEVEN


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team has new information, but their case takes an unexpected turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've used facts from the show and manipulated them to suit the story's purposes.

Danny looked over at Steve who had the silliest grin on his face. He wanted to be annoyed at this incredibly frustrating man, but he felt laughter bubbling up inside him. The next moment they had both dissolved into a fit of giggles that had nearby passengers smiling in their direction.

The two men enjoyed their time away. Steve’s time with Danny was a flurry of activity as he crammed so many activities into their schedule, that they were both exhausted at the end of each day. On the fourth day of falling asleep while Steve was still in the shower, the SEAL decided that he would force his partner to slow down as he hadn’t had the opportunity to talk to him about work. He wondered if the tiny blond was deliberately exhausting them both. They hadn’t had any time to talk about Danny’s family, their future or what would happen when they returned home. He didn’t want to possibly ruin their vacation by having a serious talk, but the longer he left it the worse it could turn out.

He propped himself up against the headboard and watched the man beside him for a while. He remembered Clara’s words and made a decision.

The next morning Danny woke to the aroma of fried eggs and freshly baked croissants. Steve was walking towards the bed with a breakfast tray. Danny gratefully reached for a glass of orange juice as his lover placed the tray between them.

“This is a nice surprise. Should I assume we’re not going out this morning?” Danny had leaned over to kiss the SEAL’s temple in greeting.

“Yeah, pretty much. I think we both need some rest, but I also want to discuss something with you.”

Steve looked very serious so Danny tucked into his food as he waited for him to gather his thoughts.

“How would you feel about taking time off work?”

“What? No, babe. I’m already on half days. I’m bored and we have cases. What about this situation with Wo Fat? We’ve been making progress.”

“Danno, about that…”

“Steve, it’s my case.”

 

“Yeah, I get that, but Danny, this is my baby.” He patted Danny's belly.

“You’ve been really tired lately. I don’t want anything else happening to you, okay?”

“I got treated for that, babe. I’m better now. Christ, I should never have let you fuck me. You’re overprotective. I’m still a cop and I’m the primary on the Wo Fat case.”

“Yes, I get that too, but you’re my lover and I don’t want you getting hurt. You’re going to have a baby and it makes you vulnerable. These are dangerous people.” Steve had that stubborn look that Danny secretly hated. That look meant that the man was merely humoring him. The SEAL had a point. Danny was in love and he realized that it was too late and impossible to back out of their relationship, not that he wanted to. He was horrified that the thought had even crossed his mind.

“You’re acting like a caveman. You know that, right?”

“I’m not sorry for wanting to take care of you.” Steve sounded resolute.

Danny was determined to stay on his case and very quickly came up with what he felt was a brilliant plan.

“I’ll take time off if I feel overly tired or sick, but how about I work on only the Wo Fat case? There’s also the thing with our colleague’s boyfriend. She wouldn’t date a member of the Yakuza, but her boyfriend and Wo Fat are linked in some way. I have a hunch about that.”

Danny was passionate about his work which was one of the things that Steve loved about him. He really cared. He looked so eager that Steve found himself agreeing with his suggestion. He would have to keep a close eye on his lover.

 

Danny seemed happy with their decisions and the rest of their time was spent exploring the quaint town at their leisure. Steve discovered that Danny liked shopping and they found a shop that Danny took an interest in. He bought tons of baby clothing. Steve realized that they hadn’t started on their baby’s nursery yet and made a mental note to do that the moment they returned to the islands. He also didn’t know the sex of their baby and decided it might be time to find out.

Danny was extremely excited on their last day in Cold Spring. He had been the most carefree that Steve had known him to be and he hoped that his lightness remained. Armed with a camera, Danny set off by himself against Steve’s advice. His adventure took its toll on him and he slept throughout their flight home.

 

Danny’s dreams made an unexpected return their very first night back. Steve woke with a start to Danny nuzzling his neck, slowly rubbing up against his thigh. Danny’s moonlit features told Steve that he was asleep.

Steve chuckled to himself. Not wanting to disturb his lover’s pleasant dream, he rolled to his side, moving Danny onto his back.

The moment Danny’s position shifted, seemingly, so did the mood of his dream. Steve was unprepared for the ear piercing scream.

The next moment Danny was awake, holding his forehead where he had butted heads with Steve.

“Danno, what the hell?”

“Ah Christ! My head hurts!”

“What the hell just happened?!”

Danny looked over at his partner. He remembered dreaming about Steve. It was like the ones they had had about each other, but Danny couldn’t shake the feeling of apprehension and loss. His dream had left him frantic with fear.

“Danno, are you okay?”

 

“The dreams are back, babe, but they’re different somehow. Something’s wrong.”

Danny's voice sounded heartbreakingly small and unsure. Steve immediately reached for him, wrapping him up in a hug.

“You’re okay and the baby’s fine and I’m going to make sure it stays that way.”

Danny awkwardly clambered out of bed and shot a worried look in Steve’s direction before disappearing into the bathroom. He washed his face and looking into the mirror, he noticed what his lover must have seen. Instead of being happy, he looked haunted.

Steve sat up against the pillows, touching the lump forming on his forehead. The small blond was afraid of something, judging from the way his eyes swept the bedroom as he exited the bathroom. Steve pulled Danny down next to him and spooned up behind him, resting his chin on his shoulder. Dipping a hand just below the waistband of his lover’s sleep pants, he placed a hand over his belly. For the moment that was all he could do to comfort Danny and protect their child from whatever was haunting Danny’s dreams. Something was scaring Danny and until they knew more, he would do his best to take care of their reality.

Steve followed through on his promise and began spending less time at HQ, partly to ease Danny into doing so and also to keep a watchful eye on him. Danny was in good spirits except for the times when Steve would see a shadow passing over his features when he thought Steve wasn’t looking. It usually happened when Steve went off without him.

Danny was a surprisingly good cook and the two men quickly fell into a routine of working from home, checking in with Chin and Kono and going into the office when it was absolutely necessary. With two members of the team away much of the time, Steve had enlisted the assistance of his Navy colleagues. Catherine and Joe White were able to fall into step with the team with an ease that came from expert training and years of experience.

“So was that why Catherine came to see you? Is that why you didn’t introduce me?”

Steve looked up at the random question.

“I was only considering the idea of taking time out, so I asked her and she agreed to think about it. Joe and Catherine are good people - the best”

Danny nodded his understanding. His phone buzzed on the coffee table. Chin had information regarding Kono’s new boyfriend. He sounded worried.

Steve looked over at him in question, but he put a finger up until he had heard all the new information.

“That was Chin. Kono’s guy is Hiro Noshimuri’s son Adam. Noshimuri senior was in bed with Wo Fat, so it seems when he disappeared, Wo Fat’s minions approached his son to broker a deal. I think Kono’s in over her head, babe.”

Steve looked far from happy. He liked the situation less and less. He was starting to wonder whether his CO was right all that time ago to want Danny off the case. Chin and Danny’s eagerness came from very different places, but the result would be the same - Danny will be in harm’s way and so would Chin. The SEAL wanted justice for his father, but he felt torn between wanting the case solved and wanting to keep Danny safe. He would have to find a way to do both.

 

When Steve was called out to a crime scene, Danny didn’t want him to go.

“Why is this one special? I don’t think you should go. Let Joe deal with it.”

“Danny, he’s already there.”

Steve was checking his firearm, placing it into its holster. Danny was worried because Steve was going to a crime scene wearing a Kevlar.

“I want to come with you. You agreed that I can work on the Wo Fat case and a hunch tells me this is Wo Fat.”

Steve looked at the small blond, noticing how agitated he was as he stood there rubbing his belly. He knew that they would only waste time arguing about their arrangement, so he handed Danny a Kevlar.

“Please stay in the car until I tell you it’s safe, okay?”

“Fine.”

 

The scene was particularly gruesome with uniformed police and cruisers crowding out an already cramped area. Journalists attempting to get pictures and stories added to the confusion and no one noticed the lone figure watching Steve and Danny amongst all the chaos.

He kept his head low as he cast a glance at the blond figure stepping out of the Camaro.

 

“Are you sure you want to look, Danno?”

Steve stopped him with a hand to his belly. The smaller man braced himself for the worst. He was still waking up with nausea and hoped that a gory crime scene wouldn’t set him off. 

“I’m okay, babe.”

He gave his SEAL a tight smile and placing a hand over the hand on his belly, raised his travel mug of mint tea.

He stayed well clear of the pool of blood around the body while the medical examiner gave feedback on his findings. It was then that Steve raced away from the rest of the team. Joe and Catherine followed. Chin stopped Danny from doing the same.

“No brah, let’s wait this one out. That was Wo Fat.”

There was shouting, shots were fired while more police officers arrived on the scene. Minutes later Steve, Joe and Catherine returned sans Wo Fat. The team returned to HQ and Steve explained that he had noticed Wo Fat watching them from the crime scene perimeter. He had been dressed as a patrolman.  
Looking concerned, Steve pulled Danny aside.

“This is becoming too dangerous. He would have seen you.”

Danny was becoming upset again.

“Of course he did, Einsten, especially with your big hand on my bump. So he saw. Now what?”

Steve looked over at their colleagues.

“Now we quiz Kono on what she knows about her boyfriend’s dealings.”

Kono wasn’t surprised when Steve called her into his office to ask her about Adam’s involvement with Wo Fat.

 

“Chin’s already asked me about Adam. I cloned his phone because for a while I wasn’t sure about his loyalties.”

“What about his brother? You were photographed with him.”

“I don’t trust Michael the way Adam does. He believes he’s ready to go straight, but I don’t think he’s on board with helping Adam legitimize the family business.”

“Okay, as long as you’re aware that we’re watching both brothers. Be careful. I expect you to keep us updated about any suspicious activity.”

Steve noticed Danny sitting down tiredly on his office couch. He made his way over to check on his pregnant lover.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired. We going soon?”

“I have to talk to Joe first. Lie down for a little while. I’ll be back for you soon, okay?”

Danny didn’t answer, but had already made himself comfortable on Steve’s couch. Steve signaled for Joe to join him in Danny’s office.

“I think Wo Fat’s going to go underground. His presence at our crime scene is a mystery, but he must know we’re onto him.”

“Okay, so what? Do we keep an eye on Michael Noshimuri? Steve, he’ll know that with Wo Fat gone, we’ll be looking at him.”

“The players might change, but the game doesn’t. That deal will go ahead, we just need to know when.”

The two men walked back to Steve’s office where Steve went to wake Danny. When he didn’t respond, Steve swept him up easily and made his way to the door.

“Is he okay?”

“I think he’s just tired.”

The older man gave him a thoughtful look as he held the door for him.

“Steve, Wo Fat is pissed. He’ll be unpredictable and I think we all need to be a lot more careful right now.”

 

END CHAPTER 12


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny's emotions are all over the place as his pregnancy progresses and Steve does his best to weather the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am officially back after a very long break to complete my studies. I will be completing all my unfinished stories. Thank you to everyone who has read, commented and left kudos.

Steve considered the older man’s words, once again bringing his niggling worries to the surface. Between himself and Joe they managed to get a grumbling Danny bundled into the car and buckled into his seat. 

“How do you put up with this?” Joe’s smile was warm as he stood to one side.

“Believe me, you get used to it. And besides, I’m a SEAL and after training with you, I’m impervious to abuse.”

Steve was relieved that they still had the ability to laugh, especially with the difficult time that lay ahead. He knew things would become much worse for all of them. The situation with Wo Fat was personal and he intended to see it through, no matter what.

 

A few days later while Steve and Danny were once again combing through case notes, Steve received a call from the talk show host, whose camera crew were following the team everywhere. Though they were annoying at the beginning due to their hunger for footage, they proved to be useful at times.

Danny was on the couch, listening to the conversation with keen interest. A tapping noise caught Steve’s attention, and on noticing his partner’s suddenly vile mood, cut the call short.

“Is there a problem?”

“No. No problem.” Danny’s tone was sweet, but his look was one of sarcasm.

Steve frowned but went back to perusing the files in front of him. The tapping became louder and more agitated. Steve put his file aside and turned towards Danny.

“Okay, what’s going on? C’mon, out with it!” He had his arms crossed, a smirk spreading over his face.

“There’s nothing to tell, Steven. I mean, what problems could I possibly have?”

Steve wasn’t sure whether he was meant to answer, but he was no longer smiling. Danny sounded highly irritated and he wasn’t sure why.  
“I’m getting a beer. Can I get you one?” Steve froze after realizing what he had just suggested, and started apologizing. Danny only stared at him, face unreadable. Steve escaped to the safety of the kitchen to get non alcoholic drinks instead, and on his return, the pen tapping resumed, but was now accompanied by foot tapping.

Putting the drinks down, he looked pointedly at his lover. 

“Okay, that’s it!” Steve lunged and pinned Danny to the couch. The laptop slid to the floor, Danny protesting loudly.

“Get off me, you animal! Ouch, dammit!” Danny’s body arched up.

“Did I hurt you? Babe, you okay?”

“Pen’s poking me in the side.”

A moment later the pen joined the laptop on the floor.”

“Steve, are you vibrating?”

“That’ll be Joe. He’ll be here in ten.”

Danny started squirming around, but Steve held him down.

“See Danny, I’m trained in all kinds of torture methods, and one way or another, you’re going to tell me what’s eating you.”

Danny broke into a fit of uncontrollable giggles at the comment, but stopped abruptly when he saw the lube his lover had fished out of his pocket. Steve pulled down Danny’s sweatpants far enough to get a hand on him. The smaller man bit his lip at the touch. He gave up completely when his SEAL’s mouth closed around his cock. A lubed finger pressed against his hole and slipped inside, the tip quickly reaching his sweet spot.

“Okay, seriously, babe. Let me up. No point in trying to molest me now. We need to stop!”

Danny heard what suspiciously sounded like an amused snort coming from his lover. The SEAL’s mouth left his shaft, but a practiced finger continued the maddening rhythm on his prostate, and soon a second was added.

“No we don’t. We stop when you come.” Steve’s tone was mild, but determined. Twisting his fingers to make his point, Danny swore as his entire body jerked.

“Jesus! Steve, you asshole!!”

With one hand on his shaft and his fingers working Danny from the inside, Steve set about driving his lover to the edge of reason. Inevitably Danny could feel his orgasm building until he heard Joe’s car pulling up.

“Steve, please, no…”

“I told you Danny. Come for me and then we stop. C’mon, give it up. You’ll feel great afterwards.”

“Fuck! Oh fuck! I can’t… no please! Sonofabitch!” Danny was out of control. He tried to fight what was happening, but his body took over, his orgasm catching him by surprise.

Hearing Joe’s car door, Steve picked Danny up in a swift move and carried him upstairs, little aftershocks still wracking the smaller man’s body. He let him down easily on the bed, ignoring a renewed bout of protests.

“Shhh… Settle down Danno. You’re beautiful and I love you.” With a quick kiss to Danny’s forehead, Steve strode out of their bedroom.

Joe was about to ring the bell when Steve opened the door. He frowned, looking around as though expecting the presence of more people.

 

“Where’s the little blonde?”

“Sleeping I hope.”

“He sick?”

“Nah, just pregnant.”

“It yours?” Smiling mischievously, Joe was for the moment not looking at Steve, who was irrationally annoyed at the remark even though he was used to this kind of banter. On seeing his former CO’s cheerful grin, his mood lightened.

“Okay, so we’ve been able to follow up some new leads after talking to the victim’s girlfriend again. Wo Fat is after the currency plates and we have an idea of where they could be based on Danny’s discovery of the map. Steve, if we find the plates, we find Wo Fat.”

“Right, so hopefully that means the arms deal will be going down soon too. Finally, we’ll be able to put this thing to rest and get some justice for my dad.”

Joe nodded slowly, his eyes serious. He was already moving towards the door, when he suddenly stopped.

“Oh, and just so you know – you might want to invest in some sound proofing. That boy is quite vocal and he’s definitely got the foul mouth of a SEAL. You sure he’s not a sailor?” Joe chuckled good-naturedly as he passed Steve in the doorway, clapping him on the shoulder on seeing his jaw drop.

“Good to see I can still leave you speechless.”

The SEAL laughed despite everything. He was delighted that their case was moving forward somehow and wanted to share the news with his favorite blond.  
He took the stairs two at a time in his rush, but found Danny asleep. He stood in the doorway, watching, when his lover spoke.

“I can feel you watching me. It’s creepy. What’s the update?” Danny gestured for him to move closer and patted the mattress next to him.

Steve climbed onto the bed and sat with his back resting against the headboard. 

“Before we discuss the case, please can you tell me why you were so angry earlier?”

“I have cabin fever, Steve. The tv crew don’t ever leave me alone at the office, so I just don’t go in anymore. It was that, feeling like a whale and when you mentioned beer, I kind of lost it. I’m sorry I took it out on you. I liked how it turned out though.”

“Okay, well then you’d be happy to hear that your ideas have helped us break our case.”

Danny’s eyes lit up at that and the next few days were relatively easy for both men. That is, until Steve arrived home one day to find his lover on the couch, looking heartbroken.

 

“What on earth are you watching?” Steve had just returned from an afternoon run and found Danny on the couch, sniffling and mopping at the corners of his eyes.

“It’s so sad.” Danny had dissolved into floods of tears, leaving Steve at a loss as to what to do.

“What’s going on? Are you feeling sick? Can I get you anything?” Steve was crouching down next to the couch when Danny looked at him like he’d only now noticed he was there.

“The movie. It’s beautiful, but so sad.”

“Danny, are you serious? It’s disgusting. It’s an alien dude giving birth!”

“So you think I’m disgusting too then? Is that why you haven’t asked me to marry you?”

“What?! Danny what is going on? I love you more than anything and I thought we’d discussed this.”

“You could’ve at least proposed. I’m pregnant and unmarried and my boyfriend couldn’t even manage a decent proposal. Way to make me feel special.”

“Oh, Danny. I’m sorry baby. I love you very much, you know that. What can I do to make it right?” He tried to hold Danny who swatted at him and struggled to get up.

“You can’t fix it. It is what it is, babe. Still makes me sad, though.”

“Oh hell no! You’re not getting the last word on this! Yeah, I didn’t propose because I thought we were waiting until the baby is born and I haven’t been wasting my time. Come on, I’ll show you what I’ve been doing.”

With that, Steve led Danny upstairs to where Mary’s old room was. After opening the door he pushed his lover through. Danny fell silent at the sight, but then burst into tears again.  
“What, you hate it?!” Steve’s tone was one of disbelief and resignation.

“No… no. It’s amazing. You dug up the stuff I bought on our trip. You finished the nursery! Thank you. I love it. That reminds me. Do you want for us to find out the sex of the baby? It’ll make it easier to choose names.”

 

At Danny’s next doctor’s visit, the men learned that they were having a son, so Steve called his sister who decided to fly to the islands to meet Danny. She arrived at the house like a whirlwind with little Joanie in tow, full of curiosity.

“Really, Steve? You knocked the poor guy up and now he has to live with you?” Mary doubled over laughing to her brother’s irritation.  
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“It’s not exactly something you tell someone over the phone, Mare.”

Mary made a snorting noise and it sounded like she was about to laugh again.

“Okay, well Danny is really nice and far too cute for you. Maybe now that you have your own family, you’ll stop giving me a hard time about starting my own. Congratulations big brother.”

Deep down Steve was glad that his sister was nearby. She seemed to get on well with Danny and she was helping him choose baby names which distracted him while Steve and his team closed in on Wo Fat.

END CHAPTER 13


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team make an important arrest that has far-reaching consequences.

The team, that now included Catherine and Joe, used the map from their murder victim’s tattoo and following it put them in one of the wildest parts of the jungle. Even with the ever present television crew at their heels, Steve finally caught a glimpse of Wo Fat, who vindictively opened fire the moment he spotted them.   
Chin who was injured in the ensuing gunfire, was quickly dragged to safety. Steve felt a sense of satisfaction when they brought down Wo Fat’s helicopter and avoided further casualties. He had mixed feelings now that Wo Fat was in custody, but was relieved that he could give Danny the good news. 

Wo Fat was horribly disfigured and was taken up in a local hospital. As he was under twenty four hour guard, Steve felt confident that he and Danny could at least have a normal life until the trial started. Unfortunately they were unable to link any of his yakuza associates to their case, but it was a victory nonetheless.

Over the following weeks Steve worked from the office every day in an attempt to reel in all of Wo Fat’s minions in an attempt to gather information about his original arms deal. Kono was very helpful in this regard as her boyfriend sought to legitimize his family’s businesses and to distance himself from Wo Fat and his brother Michael.

It was late one afternoon when Steve looked up to find Kono in his office doorway.   
“Adam and I did our best to track down Michael, but he’s definitely in the wind. If he’s still on the islands, he’s well hidden. Sorry boss. We’ll keep at it though.”

Steve regarded his colleague thoughtfully. They had all been through a great deal personally and professionally. The entire team had made many sacrifices to bring Wo Fat in and they all deserved a break.

“Michael is somewhere nearby. There’s too much at stake, so he wouldn’t leave. We’ll just have to look out for him. In the meantime, I don’t see any reason why we all shouldn’t get on with our lives. If we don’t they win.”

Steve smiled a genuine smile, fully intending to do just that. With Danny’s due date fast approaching, he was both ecstatic and terrified at the prospect of becoming a father.

The SEAL left the office early that evening, picking up ice-cream on the way home. This was the only addition to Danny’s diet and Steve didn’t mind.

He found Danny on the couch with Catherine, going through lists of baby names, while Kamekona and his cousin were raiding the kitchen in search of paper plates.

“Brought you a special shrimp dinner, brah. Reckon you have your hands full with the little detective and work.”

“We’re not naming the baby after you Kamekona.”

Steve swiped the bag of food from his friend, giving him a lopsided smile. Their friends soon took their leave, while Danny continued to recite various combinations of baby names.

Steve couldn’t help smiling at the domesticity of their situation. Danny looked beautiful, skin practically glowing. He had stopped using hair gel and Steve liked touching his hair.

“You look amazing.”

“Yeah well, I make this look easy if you don’t factor in feeling like a whale. I have boobs that are resting on my belly and the heat means I’m melting faster than my bowl of ice-cream.”

“It’s not long now and we’ll have a baby, Danno. I can’t actually believe how far we’ve come. Imagine what we tell our kid about how we met. How did you know that I wouldn’t hurt you that evening at the gala?”

Danny giggled. It was a sound Steve never grew tired of. “Well, for one, you’re Navy and you didn’t come over too crazy.”

“Even after doing a dumb-ass thing like drugging you?”

“Well, I didn’t exactly expect you to do that. Definitely not one of your better moments. Look, based on what you said to me, it seemed I had information that you wanted and I didn’t think you’d off me before getting at it. And, besides, I didn’t want Rachel to worry about me after you dragged me off.”

Steve shook his head in disbelief. “I didn’t even know all that back then. I acted like an idiot and I’m lucky you saw past all that. Look at us now. We’re living together and starting a family.”

“What can I say, McGarrett. I like to work fast.” 

 

Both Mary and Clara wanted to be nearby for the birth and it was a rainy day when Steve picked both women up at the airport. They seemed to have much in common and Steve was grateful for that at least. Rachel arrived on the islands a week later and it seemed that Danny would have no shortage of help after the birth.

Danny had stayed active throughout his pregnancy and it was during one of his regular walks with Mary when he had his first contraction. “Mary, I think this could be it. Please can you call Steve? He’ll be pissed if he misses our baby’s birth.”

Danny insisted on stopping at the house first to collect his overnight bag and things for the baby. His mother, Rachel and Mary accompanied him to the hospital. Steve and the Five-0 team arrived there as Danny was being wheeled away. 

The birth was a lengthy process and Steve hated seeing Danny in pain. He held his hand whenever he could and never stopped whispering words of encouragement. He felt blessed to have an opportunity to be present for the birth, and when their son made his appearance in the small hours of the morning, Steve was overjoyed.  
Steve stayed close to Danny when a nurse brought them the baby and though Danny was exhausted, he looked happy.

“Dylan Hale McGarrett. What do you think Steve?”

“I think it’s perfect, just like our son.”

 

Danny was released from the hospital three days after the birth. Their son had a steady flow of visitors who offered his fathers all manner of advice on how to care for a newborn. Young Dylan had Steve’s dark hair and Danny’s blue eyes.

Mary and Clara stayed at the house and helped out when Danny and Steve wanted to sleep, but the men soon settled into a routine and enjoyed fatherhood.

 

Steve visited Wo Fat as soon as he was moved from the hospital to a secure facility. The man had a rather icy demeanor and Steve felt that he had wasted his time trying to persuade him to give up his accomplices. The moment Steve turned to leave, Wo Fat spoke.

“You have a beautiful family Commander. I once had a family. It is very difficult for men like us to hold on to what keeps us grounded and honest.”

“Was that a threat?” Steve’s voice was cold as he faced his father’s killer.

When the other man made no reply, Steve walked away feeling shaken. He was determined to make sure that Wo Fat never knew freedom again. 

 

It was a warm day, six weeks later while Steve and Danny were relaxing on their beach with the baby that Danny brought up the topic. 

“I think I want to go back to work when Dylan is old enough. What do you think?”

“Are you sure that’s what you want?”

Steve was worried because he was well aware of the type of work the task force was created to do and though Danny was capable, he didn’t want him exposed to that world. Not anymore.

“I’m not sure of anything right now, but I like having options. Babe, I can see you’re not too hot on the idea. Look, Kono is okay out there and I will be too.”

“Sure, but Kono didn’t just give birth to my child. I know it doesn’t seem rational or fair, but I can’t help feeling like you need looking after. My feelings towards you haven’t changed. I think I’ve always felt like this.”

Danny didn’t say anything for the moment and looked thoughtful as he handed the baby to Steve. The two men heard laughter coming from the direction of the house and tacitly agreed that they would talk at a later stage. Both Mary and Clara who were leaving the following week came out to get the baby for his nap. Danny was glad of the interruption as he needed time to absorb Steve’s revelation.

Steve knew the day would arrive when Danny would want to return to active duty. He realized that in getting everything that he had ever wanted, he also stood to lose much, should anything go wrong.  
He hoped that whatever Danny told him would allay his fears. They never got to the bottom of the nightmares that Danny had had for so long and his conversation with Wo Fat certainly didn’t help his cause.  
They would have to deal with their issues if and when Danny made his decision.

 

The next day Danny went for his usual slow morning run while his mother watched the baby. He had left Steve at breakfast, intending to go into the office with him later.

Steve was poring over notes on the team’s latest case, when his phone rang. Kono’s update on Wo Fat was enough to make his world stop. 

“Steve?”

Clara sounded concerned as she saw all the color drain from Steve’s face.

“Where’s Danny?”

Steve didn’t wait for a reply as he grabbed for his keys and rushed past her. 

“Get Mary and the baby and go to Five-0 headquarters immediately!”

 

END CHAPTER 14


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve finds out what happened to Danny and relies on the support of his allies.

Danny loved music and found that a good playlist was a great motivator while he was out running in the fresh air. He was going in to the office later to see the rest of the team and might soon return to work. His life was perfect. 

Behind him was a van that had been trailing him for three blocks. He was oblivious to the fact and didn’t notice that it wasn’t passing him until the side door slid open and he was yanked off balance. Before he could utter a sound, he was pulled into the van where he was set upon by three burly men.  
The van sped off and Danny’s neighborhood looked no different than it did before, except for a phone that was left behind on the street.

A dark cloth bag was hurriedly placed over his head and struggling became difficult after he was dosed with a drug from an auto injector. Danny only had a moment to think of Steve and their son before his world fell away.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Steve sped down his road in the hope of finding Danny and picking him up, but he began to despair when he didn’t see any sign of him along his regular running route. Instead, what he found was Danny’s phone by the roadside, still in its running pocket. Choking down rising panic, he put out an alert and made his way to Five-0 headquarters.

On his arrival at their HQ, Steve was greeted not only by his team and family. The main area was bustling with scores of HPD detectives and patrolmen.  
Other than nods of acknowledgement, everyone continued with their tasks. Steve was relieved that no one seemed to feel the need or had the time to sympathize. He didn’t feel that he could deal with pity or anyone lingering on the negativity of the situation. Chin was first to brief him on their progress.

“We have everyone on this, Steve. Danny is important to all of us. Everyone here dropped what they were doing to come and help out. Your SEAL team also asked us to let you know they’re on standby for the rescue mission.”  
Steve nodded, but was overcome with gratitude that there were so many people who genuinely cared about him and his family.

“Chin, I have to ask. How did Wo Fat escape?”

“Michael Noshimuri is my guess because he was the only one we couldn’t find and he must’ve still had a few men who were loyal to him.”

“Any idea where they would take Danny? Can you find Danny’s case files? We have to go over everything and we have to do it fast. I’ll ask Kono to bring Adam here as well. I think he might be able to help.”  
Steve stepped into his office where Clara and Mary were huddled around little Dylan. Mary’s words were ones of encouragement.  
“You’ll find him, Steve. You found me when I didn’t even know where I was. Danny is lucky to have you, so do what you do and bring him back.”

Clara was surprisingly calm and listened quietly as Steve gave her an update. 

“I trust you. You love my boy as much as I do and I know you’ll do whatever it takes to bring him home safely.”

She gripped his forearm as he turned to leave, looking him directly in the eyes. “Whatever it takes.”

Steve nodded somberly before joining his teammates in Chin’s office. Barely minutes later, a call came through for Steve. He immediately recognized Wo Fat’s voice. Unsurprisingly, there was a ransom demand of the currency plates and safe passage off the island in exchange for Danny. Wo Fat was cooperative enough and allowed Steve to speak to Danny.  
Relief washed over Steve when he heard his voice. He was so far unharmed.

 

Adam Noshimuri, having been away on a business trip, arrived a while later and joined Steve where he was looking over old case notes.  
As Steve quizzed him about his brother, Adam found a note amongst the case files with an address scribbled on it. 

“What’s this doing here?” He held the scrap of paper out to Steve.

“A lead took Danny out to that address ages ago. Nothing turned up, though. It’s an abandoned property. I added it to a list of properties we're checking out. Do you know it?”

“Sure. It’s an old house way out in the country. It belongs to my family. My mother inherited it from her parents. No one ever lived there, but she held on to it. Michael and I inherited it after her death. Do you think Wo Fat’s there?”

Following his intuition, Steve made a decision. After obtaining the blueprints to the property and establishing that there were no other appropriate properties or places where Wo Fat could be holding Danny, Steve assembled a team and briefed them.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny woke up shivering and somewhere in his dark surroundings, he could hear water dripping. As his eyes adjusted to the low light, he noticed that it was a basement and that the place was in a state of disrepair. His chest was aching as he had already missed the baby’s feeding time and he wondered how much worse it would become during his stay in this dank place.  
What seemed like hours later, he heard a key in the lock and when the door swung open, saw someone he was not expecting.  
Noticing Danny’s confusion, Wo Fat smiled. 

“Okay, not exactly who I was expecting. So why'd you bring me here?” Danny gingerly moved into a sitting position, doing his best not to show how much pain he was in.

Wo Fat closed the door behind him and remained in the shadows on the far side of the room.

“You’re only a means to an end. I have many loyal followers and Michael Noshimuri proved a very useful ally. He had the resources to aid my escape, however, I still need funds because I’m going ahead with my deal, but you probably know that already. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t leave this place a rich and influential man. Your team as set me back somewhat, but I plan to reclaim what you lost me. You are my bargaining chip, detective. Commander McGarrett would do anything to save you and so will help me to get set up again. He is a hero and he will do that for you. Men like him are so very predictable and right now you have to play your part, detective. Speak to him.”

Wo Fat had edged closer and held a phone out to him, motioning for him to speak. Danny assumed that it was for proof of life which was standard practice during a ransom call. Knowing the steps that were being followed to secure his release didn’t bring him any comfort. Wo Fat was partly right, they all had a part to play in this familiar dance and he knew from his investigation that people around Wo Fat invariably ended up dead, whether they were innocent or not.

After the call his spirits were somewhat lifted and he forgot for the moment that he was in pain. Fortunately he wasn’t bound so when he was once again alone, he tried the door. It was firmly locked and from what he could tell, reinforced. On the other side, he could hear several voices. 

A while later he heard someone ordering him to move to the opposite side of the room. The door slowly opened to reveal three men, two were armed and the third was carrying a tray with food which he placed on a small table near the door. None of them spoke and soon they were gone, locked the door behind them.

Danny was immediately suspicious and though he was starving decided to only drink the water.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Steve was feeling the effects of his day when he ducked into his office to look in on his son. Mary handed the baby over with an apologetic look.

“We’ve tried everything to get him to calm down. We’ve bottle fed him, but it’s Danny he wants. He’s missed a few feeding times. He’s inconsolable.”

Steve did his best to comfort his son, but handed the infant back to his sister as rage bubbled up inside him. He was waiting on a call from Wo Fat to give them the details of the drop off point. Until the call came through, they couldn’t go to the country house. Steve was never good at waiting, especially when someone’s life was hanging in the balance. He wanted Danny home and safe.

What seemed like an eternity later, the call had finally come through and with it the green light for Danny’s rescue.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny was pacing to keep his mind off his pain. His t-shirt was wetly clinging to his chest and he had begun to shiver again. He purposely did not think of his son and instead went over various scenarios in his head. He had always been the kind of person who thought of the worst, and took comfort in the fact that in this case, it might keep him safe.

He felt calmer once he had at least planned for what might possibly happen if things went south. Barely moments later he felt that small victory slip through his fingers when he realized that the water, too, had been drugged.

Dizzily he sat down on the bed, thankful, that he didn’t finish all the water. He forced himself to stand and continued to pace until his head felt less fuzzy. He realized that Wo Fat might be preparing to move him again and Danny hoped that Steve would find him soon.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Steve and his SEAL team, along with Kono and Chin, approached the old house on foot. Using the overgrown driveway as cover, their progress went unseen. Steve’s team managed to locate and neutralize the perimeter guards without too much noise, while he, Chin and Kono breached the house. Joe and Catherine as well as a HPD SWAT team that was waiting at the end of the driveway, joined them the moment they engaged the men inside the house.

A frenzied battle ensued and with each room that was cleared, Steve searched for signs of Danny. The only area that remained was the basement. Steve held his breath as he came up to the door. Breaking down the door wasn’t easy as it had been fortified and Steve was almost afraid of what he might find on the other side.  
They hadn’t encountered Wo Fat and the SEAL braced himself for the worst possible outcome.

Splintering under the impact of a battering ram, the door finally gave way. 

Steve was relieved to find Danny alone. The smaller man was swaying on his feet and smiled goofily.

“What took you so long? Thought I was being stood up.”

Smiling despite himself, Steve rushed to Danny’s side and helped him into sit.

“Hey, I was worried about you, Danno. You okay?”

Danny sagged, unable to handle the pain anymore. Steve checked his anger after seeing the condition of Danny’s chest, the damp stains on his t-shirt telling him how much pain Danny was in.

“We’re getting you out of here as soon as we’ve made sure that it’s safe.”

After the noise in the house subsided, a stony faced member of Steve’s SEAL team appeared in the doorway. He informed Steve that Wo Fat was nowhere on the property. This was no victory as Steve knew that they would have further contact with the man at some stage in the future.

 

END CHAPTER 15


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Danny follow sage advice and make some much needed progress.

While the EMTs tended to Danny, Steve and Joe methodically searched the house for Michael Noshimuri or any clues as to where Wo Fat might have gone. After combing the woods around the house, the team returned to the scene. Satisfied that their quarry was not amongst the dead or arrested, Steve accompanied Danny to the hospital.

He hovered impatiently around the entrance to the emergency room. Danny had been whisked through the swing doors, but Steve was refused entry. Waiting was excruciating for him and luckily Chin and Kono arrived just as he was about to try and sneak in.

“I don’t think that’s such a great idea, boss. The ER nurses are vicious and for good reason. Do you have any news on Danny’s condition?”

Kono’s tone was mild, but she firmly steered Steve away from the doors. Joe joined them as they sat down in the waiting area. 

"Well, it wasn’t really a surprise that there was no sign of Wo Fat or Michael at that house. It’s likely they weren’t there very long and for the moment none of their men are talking. What do you think?"

 

"I think we need to expect anything. It’s like he knew what we were going to do. We need to find that sonofabitch because I sure as hell am not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life!"

 

Steve was allowed to see Danny after he was moved to recovery. Surprisingly, Danny was awake the moment Steve sat down in the chair beside his bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling? The doc said you might be going home the day after tomorrow. That’s good, right?"

 

"Sure." Danny shifted awkwardly, trying to find a more comfortable position on the bed.

 

"Danno, I’m sorry to ask, but do you feel up to telling me what happened to you? Are you okay to do that?"

 

Danny made a face as he recalled the unpleasant events of the previous two days. His medication had made him overly emotional and he looked close to tears. 

 

"I was having such a great day. I didn't hear that van pulling up. They put some kind of cloth bag over my head and drugged me. I woke up in the room where you found me and no one spoke to me except Wo Fat."

“About that Danny, I'm not sure if you remember us being told that Wo Fat wasn't at the house. We're still searching. Did you see Michael? He's missing too."

“I didn't see Michael, but from what Wo Fat said, they’re going to find a way to make that deal. He's really bitter, Steve. I know we’re cops, but why do these bad people just keep coming? Don’t we get to have a break? I just want to be happy and keep our family together. Why can't we have that?"

 

"We will Danno." Steve sounded tired. He wanted justice for his father and now he wanted it for Danny as well. 

 

"I know I don't say this often enough, babe, but I not only love you, I appreciate everything you do for our little family. Thank you for coming to get me. If you had been anyone else, I might not have made it out alive."

 

Steve’s intense rage, that had seethed beneath the surface since Danny’s kidnapping, was somewhat calmed by his lover's words. He held onto him tightly, unable to speak. Danny had spoken for both of them and it strengthened his resolve to find Wo Fat.

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny was very withdrawn during his first days after leaving the hospital. Steve had become accustomed to finding him on their beach on a lounger when he got home from the office. 

Today was no exception. Steve found him staring out over the water, wrapped in a light blanket. He always had a ready smile for Steve and as he sat down opposite Danny, he lifted his feet onto his lap.

 

"I've always liked your feet, Danno."

 

"Yeah? I didn't know you were into feet." Danny squinted at him in the late afternoon sun.

 

"I didn't say that. I'm only into your feet. You have cute toes. In fact, you have cute everything."

 

The comment made Danny smile.

"How are you feeling?" Steve studied his lover’s features closely as though the answer might be there.

 

Danny's head fell back against his chair and he groaned as Steve started kneading the sensitive skin at the arch of his foot.

 

"My chest is better, but it's really sensitive and even though the doc said I can feed Dylan, I don't think I'll start again until I'm off all the meds. Your son hates formula by the way."

 

Danny was curious about his day and Steve was happy to have an almost mundane moment with Danny. They were both recovering and Steve found that he missed Danny at work.

 

That evening after Danny had gone to bed, Clara found Steve on the lanai.

 

“It's almost time for me to go home. I’m sure you two want your privacy and I have other grandbabies that need spoiling too. My Danny's getting better, and besides, you’ve got this."

 

"It's been great having you here and Danny got better a lot faster partly because you were here for him."

 

"Keep an eye on him. His body is healing, but there seems to be something that he isn't quite ready to share just yet. Please be there for him when he is."

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

On the day of her departure, Clara called Danny aside before Steve drove her to the airport.  
“Danny, I know Steve comes over all macho and strong, but when you were taken away by that horrible man, I saw a man close to breaking point. I realize that you’ve been through a terrible ordeal, but if there is anything you can do to help ease what he’s carrying around…”  
Clara held her son close and hoped that both men would be able to put the situation behind them.

“Ma, I’m scared for Steve out there on his own. I’m not saying the team doesn’t have his back, but with those monsters still on the loose… I feel like we’re tempting fate.”

“Talk to him, baby. You can get through this. Find a solution together.”

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny was doing much better and adjusted very quickly to his new routine with Dylan. Steve took this opportunity to talk to him. 

 

"Steve, I’ll admit that I’m scared because it’s not just myself that I have to worry about anymore. We are a family and I can’t shake the feeling that something horrible is going to happen. I worry about you out in the field and I’m getting really tired of feeling powerless."

 

“Okay, I get it. Are you saying you want to come back to work?”

 

“Dylan’s still too young, Steve. I was going to tell you this the day we got interrupted, but, yes, I want to go back to work. I just want to wait a few weeks til the baby’s a little older.”

 

Steve found that he was relieved that Danny was eager to return to work. He was concerned for his safety before, but now he realized that having Danny with him for at least part of the day would lessen those fears. Steve never loved Danny more than at that moment.

 

“I really need to hold you.” Tears welled up in Steve’s eyes, but he quickly choked them down, showing Danny his brightest smile. 

 

-o-o-o-o-o-

 

Danny had been brave in the most terrible circumstances, so when Steve noticed that Danny no longer went running, he decided to ease him back into it without arousing his suspicion.

 

“Danny, the team is training for an obstacle race and I was wondering if you want to come out running with us.”

 

“Sure, Steve. I know what you’re doing, and thanks. To be honest, I didn’t want to run on my own while those two are still out there.”

 

“Well, that was easy enough. I thought it would take a lot more coaxing. I still have one condition, though. You have to come and swim with me once a week.”

 

Not only did Danny keep to his routine of swimming with Steve, but also decided that he wanted to be part of the race. This was how Steve knew that Danny was finally on the mend.

 

Though both men felt frustrated by Wo Fat’s escape, they were slowly reclaiming their lives.

 

The day of the race dawned bright, but sudden showers ensured that the obstacle course would be a messy affair.

Danny kept up with the team and even led the race near the end. He had exceeded Steve’s expectations and he was looking forward to having him back in the field.

Steve stood to one side watching Danny when Joe joined him.

 

“That boy’s looking a lot better, Steve. You do too.”

 

“I’m inclined to agree with you. I’ve waited for this day for a while now. I want to ask him to marry me.”

 

After the race, the men drove home in silence, opting to go out back for a swim to wash off the excess mud.

After a short dip, Danny took his usual place on his lounger, but this time he wrapped himself in a towel to get dry, not to hide. He felt content staring out over the water while Steve continued to swim in the distance.  
By the time Steve emerged from the water, Danny was dozing in the fading afternoon light. He dropped down on the grass next to him, instinctively resting his head on Danny's lap. The sensation of Steve’s stubble scraping lightly over his thigh was making Danny hard, something he realized he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Steve immediately noticed the change in Danny’s breathing. When he opened his eyes, it was to his SEAL looming over him, looking at him intently. 

 

“Will you let me make you come?”

 

Steve didn’t wait for an answer and already had a hand inside Danny’s swim shorts. Danny was lost at the first touch. Steve leaned down and brought their lips together as Danny thrust into the circle of his hand.

 

“Steve, I’m going to embarrass myself. I’m really close.” 

 

“It’s okay, Danno. I’ve got you.”

 

There was no judgement in Steve’s voice, only love. He continued to kiss Danny as he came. As he recovered, he noticed that Steve was still hard.

 

“Babe, let me take care of you.”

 

“I’m fine Danny. I didn’t want this to be about me. You were amazing out there today. It was a kind of a turning point for you. We won that race because you are an important part of the team… and tonight… You’re at your most beautiful when you come and I hadn’t seen that in a while. I missed you so much. Besides, we have plenty of time to do more.”

 

Danny seemed satisfied with Steve’s reasoning and they quietly stared out over the water as the sun set on an important day.

 

The promise of a hot shower was very appealing and as Steve led Danny towards the house, he contemplated Steve’s words. They had made progress and he was almost ready to return to work.  
The men spent the rest of the evening eating dinner in companionable silence and argued as they watched one of Steve’s favorite movies. Danny wasn’t sure how long he had been sleeping when he felt a gentle hand on his arm.

 

"Right, c’mon Danno. It's bedtime for both of you. I'll come and get you soon as I've squared Dylan away."

Danny was half asleep again when Steve returned.

 

"Come on you."

 

"I like it when you're bossy."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Mmm hmm." Danny smiled even as his eyes were closing.

 

Steve was overcome with tenderness as he held Danny close.

 

“Why didn’t you let me…”

 

“Shhh Danno. I’m good. I want to feel you come from the inside and I think that’s always worth waiting for.”

 

END CHAPTER 16


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Past issues arise as Steve and Danny move towards a milestone.

Life returned to a more or less normal state. The team celebrated after Danny’s announcement that he would be returning to active duty and happily welcomed him back into the fold.

It was the weekend before Danny’s return that Steve found himself alone in bed. Having woken early to go for his usual swim, he sleepily rolled towards Danny’s side of the bed, only to discover that his lover had already gone. What he did find was a carefully composed note on the dresser. 

Danny had taken their son to their child carer which meant Steve had the entire morning to do with as he wished. His morning swim was more leisurely than usual and he mused about how he would propose to Danny as he floated along in the sun-warmed water.

Later, as he was about to tuck into his breakfast, he was called away to work. When he arrived at the crime scene, the rest of the team was already there. Joe appeared at his side, immediately giving him details of a body that was found in a hotel room. The ride up in the elevator was quick and Steve was completely unprepared for the sight before him when the doors opened. 

 

Hotel guests swarmed about everywhere, hoping for a look at the crime scene. Steve was irritated that this was allowed to happen and asked a patrolman to clear the floor. He nearly collided with a couple in bathrobes and was about to ask them to return to their room, when he realized that they were familiar to him. 

 

“Danny?!”

 

“Steve?!”

 

Catherine made a surprised noise next to Danny and dragged him away before Steve could utter a word.

 

“What the hell was that?!”

 

Next to him, Joe chuckled quietly.

 

"Is that the green eyed monster rearing its ugly head, son?"

 

Steve gave Joe a dark look as he stomped around the crime scene.

 

“Don’t jump to any conclusions, Steve. Keep things in perspective and talk to the boy first." 

 

"Why wouldn't he tell me he was here with Cath?"

 

"Well, I'm actually looking at the answer to that question right now.” Joe turned to face him fully. “What did I just tell you? I’ll continue to stand by that. Talk to him!”

 

"I just wonder how I’m supposed to keep a healthy perspective when the person who had my child is frolicking around in a bathrobe with my ex girlfriend!”

 

“Steve.” Joe’s tone was equal parts warning and irritation.

 

“Fine. Whatever! Can we do some work now?"

 

“Steve, did you actually say, ‘frolicking’?”

 

Steve laughed despite himself and made a silent promise that he would speak to his lover.

 

A few minutes passed before Steve heard Danny near the door talking to Joe. He purposely did not look up and instead focused on his work. 

 

“Are you not talking to me or something?” 

 

Steve had not heard Danny’s approach and when he turned, noticed that Danny had changed into different clothing. He became distracted by Catherine in the background, speaking to various patrolmen and detectives as she moved around their crime scene. His eyes were drawn back to Danny who looked tanned and relaxed, despite the fact that he had had to return to work sooner than anticipated. Something was different about him and Steve could not quite put his finger on it. This both annoyed and intrigued him.

 

“Danny, where do I even start with this? What were you doing here of all places? And why was Catherine with you?”

 

“Wait a minute. Are you jealous?! It’s Catherine for christ sakes!”

 

Danny was angry and his suddenly aggressive posture took Steve by surprise.

 

“Well, why didn’t you tell me where you were going? All I got was a cryptic note.” 

 

Steve appeared calm, but Danny knew better.

 

“I didn’t want you making fun of me, okay? I wanted a spa day, so I asked Catherine. Anyway, I know spas aren’t your thing, and we were having a great time until that call came through. I thought you’d be glad that Catherine and I were good friends.”

 

“A spa day? Is that your way of saying that you wanted to be away from me? Are you saying that I can’t be fun?”

 

“Yes and no, but it’s not what you think. I didn’t do this to hurt you or to sneak around behind your back. There are going to be things that we do separately and this just happens to be one of them. I’m excited about being back at work, but I was also stressing about it because I’ve been out of the field for such a long time. Coming here helped me to clear my head and get a fresh perspective.”

 

Steve immediately felt ashamed about his behavior as he heard Danny echoing Joe’s words. He had every intention of voicing his apology and instead was completely nonplussed by what he actually uttered.

 

“Marry me.”

 

“What?!”

 

“If you don’t want to, I understand.”

 

Steve stepped back and was about to turn away when Danny grabbed him by the shirt sleeve. 

 

“No, Steve, wait! Did you mean to ask or did that just slip out?”

 

“I meant it. I admit it did slip out, but I wanted to ask you at dinner tonight. I’m sorry. I made a real mess of this, didn’t I?”

 

Danny’s smile was kind as he patiently led Steve out into the hotel hallway. Leaning closer, he whispered into Steve’s ear.

 

“Okay, now ask me again.”

 

Steve looked at Danny in wonder. A slight nod from his lover gave him the courage to take an important step.

 

“Danny, will you marry me?”

 

“Yes, Steve.”

 

-0-o-o-o-o-

 

Kono was the first to notice the ring on Danny’s finger when he sauntered into the office with Steve. By the evening the team had further cause for celebration when they managed to close a serial kidnapping case. 

After the men announced their engagement, things moved ahead with astonishing speed. Steve was most surprised by the fact that Danny had taken over the planning of their wedding without complaint. The SEAL had helped with the selection of a venue at a resort on Maui. Danny liked the resort so much, they both agreed that it was the ideal place to spend their honeymoon.

 

Though Danny enjoyed the work that went into creating the perfect wedding day, he began to show signs of stress. Steve was feeling the strain as well, but when Danny’s nightmares returned he began to worry, especially when Danny claimed he couldn’t remember his dreams.

 

“Danny, don’t you think we should take a break and let the planner carry the burden for a while. We have Dylan and work, and though it was never going to be easy, I’m still a little worried about how much you are taking on.”

 

“I’m okay, but I understand how you feel. I only have one meeting tomorrow and then you, me and the baby can have lunch. I even managed to find a great place that allows babies.”

 

Steve was looking forward to a peaceful day with only his family and couldn’t help smiling.

 

The restaurant was near where Danny met the planner to discuss his final decision on a color scheme and photographers. Steve didn’t see Danny when he walked in, but the hostess smiled sweetly and pointed him in the direction of a gathering crowd.

 

Steve found him surrounded by women who made it clear that they thought both Danny and Dylan were adorable. He noticed with some irritation, that he was unable to get to Danny, but was also proud that Danny was his.

 

On seeing his fiancé, Danny smiled broadly and introduced Steve to his newfound admirers. They quickly dispersed when Steve sat down and took the baby from Danny.

 

“Dylan’s got a fan club already. I should do this more often.”

Danny’s giggle told Steve that the comment was made in jest, but he couldn’t help the wave of possessiveness that swept over him.

 

“I’m sure half of his fan club was actually here for you.”

 

Danny, who was always good at distracting Steve, used this talent to his advantage.

 

“Joe called while you were on your way here. That body we found in the hotel room is linked to Michael Noshimuri. Do you think it’s a coincidence that he wound up dead?”

 

“I don’t think so. We’ll have to dig a little more. There must be some kind of connection that could help us track him down.”

 

The men had an opportunity to test their theory a few days later as they walked up to the front door of someone who could help them to advance with their case.

 

“What are the odds he’s home?” 

Steve was grinning at Danny as he knocked on the front door.

 

“What are the odds that he runs? Why do they always run?!”

 

Both men made their way to the back of the house where a man was clambering over a fence. Danny determinedly followed and caught up with him in an alley that led back to the road.

 

“Can you tell me again why we’re chasing this moron?”

 

“He knows a lot of people, including our hotel corpse, and my CI thinks this guy might know what happened to Wo Fat and Michael Noshimuri.”

 

Danny hadn’t had regular haircuts during his pregnancy with the result that his hair had grown quite long. Steve secretly loved it and Danny would never have known until he became involved in an altercation with their would be CI.  
Steve lost his composure when the man gripped Danny by the hair, fully intending to slam his face into a wall. Danny managed to wiggle free and subdued their suspect without too much trouble.  
Looking very proud of himself, he dragged the man towards where a fuming Steve was waiting.

 

"What?"

 

Danny had noticed Steve's sour expression.

 

"Nothing."

 

Danny decided to discuss Steve’s behavior after he interrogated their unwilling CI. He found Steve in his office writing a report.

 

“So babe, what was going on with you earlier? You told me it was nothing, but it obviously was something.”

 

“It was nothing. Can we leave it at that?”

 

"That wasn’t a nothing look! Come on, superSEAL. What's going on with you?"

 

Steve slammed his palms down hard on the desk, making Danny jump.

 

"I didn't like how that creep touched your hair, okay? Happy now?"

 

"No, I'm not happy. It's not like he was trying to seduce me, Steve. He was trying to incapacitate me so he could get away."

 

"I just don't like it."

 

"Okay, wait. What's really going on here?"

 

Steve was unable to look at Danny when he spoke.

 

"Your hair looks great like that... and it looked like that when I dreamed about you all that time ago. I've thought of gripping your hair like that when..."

 

"Whoa there, buddy! We're still at the office."

 

Danny was hard and he was mostly glad that they were just about ready to leave work. Steve was quiet during the drive home and the moment Danny spoke, Steve suddenly pulled the car off the road. 

 

“Babe, what are you doing?”

 

Danny was bundled into the back seat where Steve manhandled him onto his knees, undoing his pants at the same time. Danny’s protests were cut short when he felt a lubed finger entering him. He had no time to adjust when that finger was joined by a second. He started struggling when he heard Steve unbuckling his own pants. This seemed to excite Steve further as he forced Danny down and unceremoniously pushed into him.

Danny was underprepared and the burn was intense.

Steve had a painful hold on Danny’s hair as he thrust into Danny over and over.

 

“Jesus Steve! That hurts!”

 

Steve had slammed all the way in and as Danny fell forward, he felt himself being pulled flush against Steve. The SEAL went impossibly deep and the pressure inside him was overwhelming. 

 

Danny’s anger at being caught by surprise in a semi public place was further fueled by Steve’s audacious words.

 

“Stay down, Danno. It’s pointless fighting me.”

 

In his current position, he couldn’t and was going to come without Steve ever laying a hand on him. 

 

He began to adjust to Steve’s rhythm and his body convulsed as Steve spilled deep inside him.

 

Steve collapsed on top of Danny, too exhausted to move. Finally, when breathing became an issue, Danny patted Steve’s thigh in a bid to encourage the SEAL to move.

 

“What the hell was that?! It fucking hurt! Christ Steve, we’re in public!”

 

“Danny, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

 

“I don’t want you to keep apologizing, babe. I want you to tell me what’s going on with you. You’ve been weird for a while now and you’re escalating. You scared me today.”

 

Steve rolled off Danny and slumped with his head at the opposite door. Danny looked as debauched as he did. As he gazed at the evening traffic moving past them, he realized that he was out of control.

 

“Okay. Okay. If you must know, I’m feeling excluded. First the women in the restaurant and then you not taking my issue with that CI seriously…”

 

“Is that it? You don’t have any reason to feel excluded.”

 

“That’s not all, Danny. Your dreams are back and you’re avoiding talking to me about them.” 

 

Danny’s demeanor suddenly changed. He hastily started fixing his rumpled clothing and didn’t quite look Steve in the eye.

 

“You’re right. The dreams are back. I tried to forget about them. I hid the fact from you because you’d only worry about me. I don’t know what they mean, but they scare the hell out of me. Why do you think I’ve been working so hard to find Wo Fat and Noshimuri? It's more productive than just being afraid.”

 

Steve pulled Danny into his lap and held him close. Everything they had struggled so hard for was beginning to slip away and the return of Danny’s dreams was only the beginning.

 

END Chapter 17


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wedding bells are ringing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter for our boys. I wasn’t sure how I wanted to end this story and it took a few false starts to get here. There is a sequel because Danny and Steve are embarking on a new adventure that brings with it its own problems. Also, the loose ends will finally be tied up. Enjoy.

As their wedding day crept ever closer, Steve and Danny became so engrossed in finalizing the day’s arrangements that they were too exhausted to focus too much on their individual fears. Danny, for one, was delighted at the prospect of having something to celebrate. He was encouraged by the change he’d seen in Steve. The man was smiling more openly and during most of his free time he could be found with Danny and their infant son. Possibly the most pleasant surprise was the spa day he arranged. The SEAL was genuinely enthusiastic about spending that time bonding with Danny.

 

Danny smiled over at Steve and was practically purring with happiness at being pampered and for the first time he was not feeling guilty about not spending every waking moment with Dylan. He was adjusting nicely to being back at work and was looking forward to having time alone with Steve on their honeymoon. His nightmares persisted, but he refused to allow them to gain ground.

Next to him, Steve clearing his throat, broke into is thoughts. They had enjoyed a relaxing massage and facial which Steve did not look too sure about at first, but after seeing the results, he quickly changed his mind. They had moved on to a pedicure and Danny had been so wrapped up in his own little world that he hadn’t noticed that their therapists had left them alone.

 

“Are you happy?” 

 

“Huh? I don’t…”

 

Realizing that Danny didn’t understand his train of thought, Steve chewed on his lip for a moment as he attempted to find the right words.

 

“Ever since we got together, we’ve been in these roles and I never thought about whether you were happy with how things are. Everything changed for you, while all I did was carry on pretty much the same.”

 

Danny’s frown quickly morphed into a sweet smile that Steve had not seen before, but decided that he liked. He had never been overly comfortable delving into how he felt and talking about his feelings made him downright uncomfortable, but Danny had an uncanny ability to read his thoughts. 

 

“You’re talking about sex aren’t you? Babe, you don’t have to be embarrassed. I’m more than okay with the roles that we’ve assumed. Look, it happened naturally and yes I’m happy. Can’t you tell?”

 

Still not certain whether they were having the same conversation, Steve took a more direct approach.  
“But don’t you miss the feeling of being inside someone? Don’t you ever miss being the one doing the fucking?”

 

Danny’s ears turned pink in reaction to Steve’s words. This time it was his turn to feel exposed.

 

“Actually, no. I am having more orgasms than before. I’ll admit that it’s different, but what I experience is intense, and feeling all that on the inside is amazing!"

 

The footsteps of their therapists returning left Steve unable to respond. He couldn’t help but be astonished at his fiancé’s revelation.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

It was very early when Steve found Danny on the lanai. He sat down in the empty chair next to the other man as they quietly watched the sun rise. It was the morning of their wedding and they accepted this tranquil moment as a gift before their day became a hive of non-stop activity. 

 

“Are you ready for all this?”

 

Danny answered him with a gentle touch of his lips before resting his head on his shoulder.

 

After breakfast, a limousine arrived to transport them to a heli pad before they were whisked off to Maui for the ceremony and the day’s festivities.

 

The men exchanged their vows with the ocean as their backdrop, encouraged by the happy faces of their family and friends. Soon they were besieged by everyone wanting to be the first to congratulate them. The day passed in a blur of champagne and as bright sunshine gave way to dusk, Steve found himself reclining on a lounger next to Joe. Both men had shed their ties and shoes long ago and Steve was grateful for the relaxed atmosphere. The older man smiled as he watched Steve’s eyes follow Danny wherever he went. 

 

“We finally got there. For a while I thought this day would never come.”

 

“You did well, son. One less thing for me to worry about.”

Joe looked on as Danny strode over and pulled Steve to his feet.

 

“Joe, do you mind if I drag my husband away? He promised me a dance.”

 

The SEAL allowed himself to be led away by a slightly tipsy Danny. Joe checked his watch and looked up just in time to see the newlywed pair merge with the rest of the guests that were dancing on the lawn.

He moved further away where the music was less obtrusive as he saw a familiar number appear on his phone.

 

Steve who had noticed Joe moving off into the distance could see by the set of the older man’s shoulders that whoever he was talking to, had just given him unpleasant news. He made a mental note to corner Joe at a later stage, but for the moment he enjoyed holding Danny close as they swayed to the music.

 

The torches were lit and most of the guests were sitting on the lawn while the rest continued to dance and drink. While Danny was dancing with Grace, Steve took the opportunity to corner Joe.

 

“What’s going on, Joe? I could see you when you took that call.”

 

“I really don’t think it’s the right time…”

 

“If it involves Danny and me, we have to make the time! Now tell me what’s going on!”

 

“Okay, fine. Wo Fat’s been spotted in Waikiki. We think he’s going to try and leave the islands.”

 

“Didn’t he say that he was going to make his deal first? Why is he running?”

 

“Who knows. Maybe it all went to shit and he’s cutting his losses. It would explain the hotel room corpse.”

 

“Okay, so what do we do?”

 

“We don’t do anything. You and Danny are on your honeymoon. Go make babies or something. The rest of the team can handle this.”

 

The reception continued late into the evening and some of their guests had retired to their hotel rooms when a barefoot Danny crawled into Steve’s lap. 

 

He removed their leis and hanged them over the backrest of Steve’s chair. 

 

“Were you and Joe talking shop at our wedding reception?”

 

“What?! Of course not.”

 

“You’re a terrible liar, babe. You don’t have to keep things from me, you know.”

 

“I know, Danno. The team can handle whatever comes up. Besides, we have ten days off.”

 

Steve leaned back in his chair and closed his mind against what the future might hold. Instead, he concentrated on the blond man that was now squirming around on his lap.

 

“Babe, it’s nice out tonight, but I want to get you indoors. What I’m thinking about could get us arrested out here.”

 

Steve didn’t wait for a second invitation and lifted Danny with him as he rose from his chair. He carried his husband towards their room to good-natured jeering and cheers from the rest of their guests. 

 

Both men were exhausted and more than a little drunk. By the time Steve had managed to get them both out of their clothes, Danny was already snoring.

 

Steve smiled down at his husband as he placed him on the bed.

 

“We’ll make up for it tomorrow” he said to no one in particular and was thankful that they would have countless tomorrows.

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

The morning was grey and rainy and Danny slowly stirred into wakefulness next to a hung over Steve. He felt the beginnings of a headache as he stretched and curled into the SEAL’s side.

 

“Hey you. We’re actually married. We did it!”

 

“Yes we did. You happy, Danno?”

 

“Babe, how can you even ask me that? Ours wasn’t the smoothest journey, but we got there. I love you.”

 

“And I love you. Now, let’s order breakfast?”

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

Wedding gifts were stacked up all around the living room area. Their suite had a panoramic view of the ocean, but as Steve opened the drapes, the expanse of water loomed ominously in the distance. Danny was well used to less than ideal weather, but the grey of the sky joining with the ocean sent a shiver through him.

 

“I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t feel this horrible the morning after my wedding.”

 

He shrank back into the couch, unable to shake off the feeling of unease creeping up on him. 

 

“Let’s try and get through breakfast. Our guests will be taking off soon and we should say our goodbyes. And who knows, maybe some of them might even feel worse than we do this morning.” 

 

Steve yawned and pulled Danny against him before kissing him lightly on the nose.

 

Danny and Steve’s guests eventually all made their way back to their homes, leaving the two men alone once more. Steve found Danny asleep in a hammock by the pool. He lingered for a while, watching his new husband sleeping. Danny was shirtless and his shorts were riding dangerously low on his slim hips. When he moved, wisps of blond curls peeked out from above his waistband. He looked completely unguarded and defenseless. Even though Steve knew that Danny could handle himself in a tough situation, he suddenly felt very protective as he lowered himself onto the hammock next to the smaller man.

 

“Where have you been? Already neglecting your new husband I see.”

 

Danny smiled, but didn’t open his eyes. Steve smiled and wrapped himself around his husband. 

 

The weather had cleared up, so the two men ate a light lunch beside the pool because Danny didn’t want to be indoors. 

 

“You’re not going to tell me what’s going on, are you, babe?”

 

“Huh?”

 

The question was random, and there was no real anger behind it. When Steve looked over at Danny he saw only curiosity in the bright blue yes.

 

“You and Joe were discussing something that could be potentially bad. I didn’t realize it until I noticed the change in you when he took that call last night. What’s going on, Steve? We’re a team, remember?”

 

“Okay, yes, we talked about work, but when I asked him this morning, he was evasive about the call. Right now, you know as much as I do.”

 

Steve reached across the table and took Danny’s hands in his. At first he didn’t speak. Danny waited and looked on as he focused on his hands, tracing patterns on his ring finger.

 

“Know this. I will do everything in my power to protect you and our son.”

 

-0-0-0-0-0-

 

The men enjoyed a leisurely dinner in the hotel restaurant. Steve was surprised that Danny had grown to enjoy Hawaiian cuisine as much as he did. Later that night, Steve found himself backed up against their bedroom wall by a very enthusiastic Danny.

 

“I assume we were too drunk to have consummated our marriage last night, so now I would like you to fulfill your husbandly duties.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Uh huh.”

 

Steve ran a large hand through Danny's waves before tightly gripping his hair. He tilted his head upwards before sealing his mouth over Danny's, sending a clear message about his intentions.  
Steve was quite rough with Danny and there was a frantic struggle to get out of the restrictions of their clothes.  
Once they were on the bed, Steve decided to take his time with Danny.

 

“Steve, I like this, but please, can we do slow later? I need you to fuck me right the hell now.”

 

Obediently, Steve went to get their lube. He was already painfully hard and getting Danny ready was going to be a challenge. Grinning cheekily, Danny took the lube from his husband and began to prepare himself. Steve watched in fascination as Danny’s fingers disappeared into his body. His eyes were half closed as he held Steve’s gaze.

Casting the lube aside, he held out his arms towards Steve. The SEAL settled on top of Danny, pinning him to the mattress with his weight. He lightly kissed along Danny’s neck as he guided his cock into Danny’s hole. 

Danny gasped as he wrapped his legs around Steve, closing a gap between them he didn’t know was there. 

 

“You really don’t want to wait, do you?”

 

Steve laughed breathlessly as Danny shook his head. Both men groaned as Danny’s hands closed over Steve’s ass, making his cock go deeper.

Steve couldn’t stop his hips snapping forward. Danny’s fingers curled into his as he drove into him. Beads of perspiration glistened on Danny’s forehead and he had never looked more beautiful to Steve. 

 

The men didn’t hear the quiet snick of the glass door closing as a dark figure slipped into their room and became one with the shadows near the window.

 

Danny was close and about to come when up to now fuzzy images from his dreams sprang up in his mind and became suddenly clear. Moments later, was in the grips of a wave of panic that had him hyperventilating. He began to frantically push at Steve. His husband held him in place by pinning his wrists to the mattress, but Danny continued to struggle.

“Danny it’s okay. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re with me. You’re okay.”

Steve did his best to try and soothe Danny, but it seemed as though the other man didn’t see him.

“Wo Fat! Let me go! No, oh my god, nooo!!!” Danny’s scream was ear piercing.

Steve let go of Danny’s wrists, pulling him into a hug, to try and shield him from the images his mind told him were very real. Danny was inconsolable. He awkwardly turned his head and reached blindly under his pillow, pulling out his service weapon.

Thoroughly alarmed by Danny’s erratic behavior, Steve moved aside and only then realized that they were not alone. A shot rang out and the shadow near the window dropped with a loud thud.

Steve’s eyes went wide when he realized what had just happened.

“Wo Fat?!! You have got to be kidding me!”

“Yes, somehow the sick sonofabitch knew where we’d be. He had this all planned out, I’m sure. Maybe he couldn’t get you during my rescue, so then he planned to get us both afterwards.”

“Danno, you saved my life.”

Steve looked around the bedroom, shaking his head in disbelief. 

“Do you think this is what the dreams were about?”

“I think so, but we were so wrapped up in what we felt in those dreams that we didn’t think to explore what we saw. Danno, why did you have a gun under your pillow?”

“When I started having those dreams again, I kept waking up feeling like someone was in our room. I guess that’s when I started doing that. Does this change how you feel about me? After all, it was our dreams that brought us together.”

Danny sounded unsure now that it seems they finally knew why they had had similar dreams.

“Those dreams freaked me out a little, but nothing changes, Danny. I love you. Our dreams may have brought us together, but we kept us together. Any regrets?”

“None, babe.”

Danny was practically vibrating with happiness, despite the corpse near the window. His smile lit up his golden features and he was still trying to get his breathing under control as he reached for his phone.

“It’s finally over.”

 

THE END


End file.
